Practicing Self-Control: Secrets Revealed

I have been asked to cover the everlasting problem of self-control. (Keep up with the recommendations!)Lots of people who are trying to fix their diet suffer from this problem, and many of those have no idea where to start in order to fix it. I'll let you in on some secrets:

It has been shown in studies that if we let ourselves get too hungry, we tend to really crave very fatty and very sugary foods. This is because these foods are most calorie dense. Our brain is simple, right? Get real hungry, and it automatically picks foods with more Calories/energy. This can also explain why after practice we can get so hungry and grab whatever's close and convenient to eat.

The way to attack this phenomena is to not let yourself get too hungry. I know, I know..."I should eat more often in order to eat less food? That doesn't make sense..." Let me explain. Snacks throughout the day will curb these cravings. Hit that 3:30 spot and want a muffin? Just munch of some pistachios or grab an apple/banana/orange. This is also why breakfast is so important. Lots of people don't eat it in the morning and end up being waaaay to hungry for lunch and after for dinner too. Because we are practicing self control for this post, I will help you with this idea. Try these 3 strategies that I have seen work from my own experience trying them.

1. Portion controlled items. Tons of supermarkets are selling these now. Little packs of Cheeze-Its, single serving yogurt or cheese, single packs of trail mix. They all work. The strategy here is to put the big bag of them somewhere safe and only grab one at a time and throw it into your backpack/bag/purse. This way when you go for a quick burger and fries or ice cream, you can stay in your bag and go for the most convenient option with the already in front of you, portion out, picked to be healthy option. Make sure this is something you like. Everything is OK in moderation. If it needs to be potato chips, pick out a handful and put them in a ziplock bag. That's all you get. Quench the salty thirstiness with water.
2. Smaller plates. I know we are talking snacks, but for meals it can be as simple as small plates in order to curb your self control problems. My parents practice this constantly and it always works. Don't use huge 10" dinner plates. Go for a 7 or 6" plate and fill that up. Automatically less food taken. To try this, buy some small disposable plates and see if it works. If it does maybe buy some nice ones to show off.
3. Crave-smashing foods. It has been shown that certain foods will do a better job of keeping you satisfied with smaller amounts. The three areas I look for when considering this are protein, fiber, and poly or monounsaturated fats. Snacking on just a little bit of these foods will do a much better job than the sweets and the fats. Here's some ideas:

• Nuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios
• Trail mix, a granola bar, dried fruit
• Saltines, popcorn, pretzels, and low fat, baked crackers
• Veggies like carrots, celery (w/ peanut butter!), cherry tomatoes, peppers
• Fruits like all of them :)
• Yogurt, cheese sticks, one glass of milk/choc. milk (skim!)

The italics words are my favorites and what I consider some of the best options on the list. When shopping for these snacks make sure you eat before hand! Going to the grocery store hungry is the most dangerous thing you can do. Your cart will be filled with tons of salt, sugar, and fat. Trust me.

I hope that helped you Tracey! Let me know if my strategies work for you!