5 Rules to Eating So You Can Forget That Diet

Let’s face it – weight loss happens when we have self control and discipline. Usually, that combination means a diet. Not necessarily. Here are 5 tricks so that you can eat what you want…in moderation, that is.

1. Ask yourself if you’re hungry. Often we’re tired, bored, or even thirsty when we shovel food in our mouths. So just ask yourself: am I really hungry?

2. Don’t eat after 7. You’ve probably heard this one before and, while the act of eating won’t cause you to gain unnecessary weight, it’s simply that by the time morning comes, you won’t be as hungry for breakfast. In short, eating after 7 or 8 at night gets your metabolism and eating schedule out of whack.

3. Watch your portions. This is the most important rule. It’s no secret that Americans are an incredibly overweight population and it’s no wonder why – the portions you get eating out could more often than not feed you for an entire day, let alone one meal. One of my favorite tricks is – put what you’re eating on a plate or in a bowl – don’t eat directly out of the pan/dish/bag. If you’re still hungry, go for seconds; but chances are you won’t be.

4. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies. Not only are they good for you, but they’ll fill you up, so you eat less of the more hearty food in your diet.

5. Snack, snack, snack! Technically, it’s better to eat about every three hours than three big meals. So instead of binging three times a day, be sure to grab a little something (a piece of fruit perhaps? ), so you don’t have to engorge yourself later.

What’s one of your rules for staying away from the newest fad diet?

Nicki Hicks is a fitness and nutrition enthusiast with a passion for all things healthy and organic. A web marketing specialist and search geek at flyte new media by day, Nicki works to increase her clients’ search engine visibility. By night, you might find Nicki coaching, practicing yoga, or pretending to be an artist. Nicki regularly contributes to the Guiding Stars blog.