Diet Tips Collection

Some of the ones that really work for me from "diet advice that works" article (in SELF Magazine November 2007):
- Dine out less often (Stated average pounds lost: 6)
- Eat breakfast, even if you're not hungry (Stated average pounds lost: 5)
- Swap in lowfat, fat-free or sugar-free versions of foods you crave (Stated average pounds lost: 1)
- Banish trigger (read: naughty) foods from your home (Stated average pounds lost: 6)
- Use smaller plates and glasses (Stated average pounds lost: 1)

Plus, check out this list
101 thoughts on losing 100 pounds. I find quite a few of them very good to know, i.e.:
#29 I agree with his comments on how "multiple small meals make you feel much less hungry" doesn't work so well if you have a 9-to-5 type job.
#34 "Have you ever actually measured out a single serving of cereal?" - Yup! I was particularly shocked to see the small amount of cereal which constitute 1 serving. I was easily eating four servings before I feel full. I choose to stay away from them!
#40 "Unlearning the “eat because it’s tasty, not because you’re hungry” lesson is hard, but you can do it. Kids do not eat when they are not hungry unless you teach them to." - So true!!!
#27 "A salad bar is an invitation to disaster." - A big trap indeed!
#42 "Being fat is not a human’s natural state." - I think this is a very interesting one...
#52 "You will miss some foods worse than others. When I was doing a low-carb diet, I dreamed of bread. Don’t give in. Saying “just one piece” is the equivalent of a junkie saying, “Just one hit.” Don’t do it." - Sadly, this is true for me... a lot of the time, it is much easier to decline my favorite high-calorie food than trying to have just a little bit of it. There is a lot more push and determination required to stop eating them when they are oh-so-yummy-and-melting-in-your-mouth than to choose to not have them altogether.
#67 "There is no greater feeling than suddenly discovering you can wear that pair of pants that did not fit you a couple of months ago." - Well - there are other greater feeling but this is pretty close to no-greater-feeling.
#81 "There are some places on your body that will never lose their fat, and there is no point in expecting them too." - This is a very good one to know.
#101 "The failure rate for dieters is high. Even successful dieters – like me – often gain the weight back. I managed to lose 100 pounds, then gain some back, then lose some again. I’ve never come close to gaining the 100 pounds back, but I do put on 20, lose 20. You have to think of it as a battle. You are Custer, and food is the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes. Food will keep coming and coming and coming. You will lose if you stop fighting it even for a minute. I tell myself this every day: My will is stronger than my urges." - This one speaks for itself!
I don't quite agree with some of his other thoughts - especially the #33 on carbs... Still a great post though!

Thanks Steve!

For me personally, the one tip that makes the difference is to get to know the calorie content of the food and keep personal food intake log religiously. To this day, I still get amazed by the amount of snacks I've eaten and forgot in a few hours. Plus, it gives me the option of eating...
- a large amount of low calorie (and almost-yummy) food, or
- a moderate amount of medium calorie (and just-yummy) food, or
- a small amount of high calorie (but very-yummy) food
... depending on my mood and tummy demands. :)

Then, just to throw in something that is totally irrelevant :P
Check out this cool yummy blog, How to Eat a Cupcake. I don't really need to be taught to eat a cupcake but they do have pretty cakes!