Meal Prep - My Way......Don't Judge

The other day I was looking up recipes for the next week’s meal plan and noticed a common thread. It seems that there are a lot of articles about meal prepping. Some of those articles have made it pretty complex. It occurred to me that there might be people who either don’t enjoy meal planning or don’t know how to. In either case, it would explain why some people would cheat on their diet or health program. It only seems to make sense that when the enjoyment is lacking in something that boredom follows. When that happens, eventual failure is likely. This could lead to eating unhealthy food and/or binge eating.

When it comes to meal prepping, a plan needs to be made. All this means is that you need to know what your specific health goals are. It could be weight loss, muscle building or simply toning. People tend to complicate things and it really doesn't need to be. Honestly, it’s only a little challenging at first because a new habit is being formed. But once it becomes part of a lifestyle, it's pretty easy. There is a lot of information regarding nutrition and just as many recipes out there in the form of articles, books and videos. I’m just going to tell you what’s working for me.

When I decided to become healthy, I already knew that proper nutrition had to be my first priority. I can’t stress this enough. You can’t exercise and eat shitty food then expect to meet your goals. Oh sure you could see some results and even feel a little better. But why not do your best? Meal prepping is an excellent way to ensure proper eating.

My health goals include weight loss which means cutting calories. First I weighed myself then looked up how many calories were needed to maintain that weight. Because it takes a reduction of 3500 calories to lose a pound I subtracted 7000. I wanted to lose two pounds a week (3500x2=7000). I took that number and divided by seven (days in a week) then subtracted one day’s worth of calories (for the glorious cheat day). That left me with my daily allowed calories. I don’t know if that’s how the “experts” say to do it, but that’s how I did and it’s been just fine for me.

I looked up tasty sounding recipes in the caloric range for my needs, made a shopping list with the required ingredients and went shopping. Now, I’m a snacker and have a weakness for chips. There have been many internal and external dialogues with myself (I do that a lot) while shopping and the fat me would say “One bag of chips won’t hurt.” and “What about healthy vegee chips?” At times, items not on the list would make it into my cart only to end up on a random shelf. I know myself well enough to know that chips are my personal heroin and if I gave in to temptation in the beginning,  I would never succeed in meeting my health goals. When I first started shopping for meal prepping, just leaving the store with only what was on the list was a victory. Now, it really isn’t as much of a struggle.

Preparing a week’s worth of food is pretty simple. All the food that needs cooking, is cooked in a big batch, then divided up and put it into six containers. I like pretty food so I make them all look pretty, layering them and arranging each meal to be attractive. Don’t judge. Then all the plastic/covers go on and all of the containers go into the frig. The only foods that are not included in the containers are avocado and fruit. They get pretty gross after a couple of days so I just cut one in half then save the other half for the next day.

Another trick I learned was to buy some perishables in different stages of ripeness. Take avocados, for example. I’ll buy one that’s ripe, a couple that are not quite ripe and one that won’t be ripe for four or five days. The same goes for fruit.

Something else I learned was how to shave off unnecessary calories in a recipe so I can put them into other food that can be eaten. For me, this came in the form of learning to drink coffee without milk or cream. My regular ground coffee was upgraded to the flavored grounds. Lemon and a little salt have replaced salad dressing. Raw or steamed vegetables have replaced sauteed. By making these changes, my portions of real food can be a little larger and that makes a big difference when it comes to avoiding hunger. That can be an extra piece of chicken, another piece of fruit or a handful of almonds.

Containers to store meals are a factor as well. If you’re just beginning your meal prep journey, there really isn’t any need to run out and purchase anything specific. When I first started, I just used whatever was in the kitchen. For the first few weeks, I used bowls with plastic wrap and butter containers. They worked fine. There are containers that have separate areas to keep each part of the meal fresh. Some people use freezer bags because, well.. ..they freeze their meals, others use mason jars. For me, I’m not a fan of plastic but did use the butter containers because it was all that was around. Mason jars don’t fit in my tiny frig very well so I’ve recently placed an order for some glass food storage containers and will be posting a review later on.

So when it comes to meal prepping, there really isn’t a “wrong” way of doing it and I’m sure there will be some who will shake a finger at my saying that. Sure, there are tweaks that will be made here and there and you'll get your own system down. But really, it’s your body, your lifestyle and your budget. As long as you’re taking steps towards better health no one has the right to give you shit about it. Any effort you make towards being a better you earns my respect. - Angelica Mordant

Why I Love Juicing

Ahhh juicing. When people think about juicing, a lot of times images of health fanatics and hippies come to mind. Wait.... did I just describe myself? Haha! No, seriously, it’s understandable why some people are so resistant to juicing. I sure as hell was. But what I learned is that juicing not only is delicious, but I feel GREAT afterwards.

Over the years, I would come across someone who mentioned that they juiced and would encourage me to try it. Of course I declined, not finding thick, green liquid very appetizing. But it wasn’t until I witnessed someone juicing and saw what was going into the machine that I willingly took a sip. It was delicious! Before long, sips here and there escalated to small glasses of my own. Within a month I took the plunge and bought my own. Being the cheap ass that I am, I bought a little, white Black & Decker juicer for around $35. It is now my “baby” and meets my needs perfectly.

The great thing about juicing is that you get the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables without actually having to eat them. I can juice and take it with me on the go. Also, because the stomach isn’t actually breaking down food, the nutrients are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. The energy and mood boost is better than coffee and it’s healthy! It’s also a great way to keep hunger at bay when in between meals.

Now there are some who just don’t like vegetables. I get it. I used to hate vegetables too. With juicing, you can add a piece of fruit or two to sweeten it up. Just like any other recipe, you can alter it to suit your own tastes. Take carrots for example. I love the flavor of carrots and want all the nutritional benefits that they have to offer. Cooking them is okay, but a lot of nutritional value is lost with cooking. At the same time, I really don’t like the texture of fresh carrots. By juicing them, I get to enjoy the flavor as well as the health benefits of them without having to eat them!

About the pulp. Some people throw it away. I don’t. Usually what I do is keep it in the fridge (not more than a couple of days) then when ready, add an egg or two and make scrambled eggs or use the eggs as a binder and make vegee patties. This way nothing goes to waste and I’m still getting the fiber and some nutrition.

For some people who are not accustomed to juicing, they may experience a headache after drinking juiced fruits and vegetables. I did in the beginning. Really all it is, is because there is so much sugar (with fruits) being delivered to the body so quickly it’s a bit overwhelming at first. If this happens to you, simply add a little water to the juice and drink it a little slower. I don’t get headaches any more and love the energy rush.

I love experimenting with new recipes. Some are better than others. Due to the amount of sugar in fruit, I try to limit them and use them as flavor enhancers rather than alone. Those fruit calories can sneak up on you!

My personal favorite juices are any combination of the following, but I usually get whatever is on sale.

Carrot

Tomato

Cucumber

Spinach

Kale

Apple

Strawberry

Kiwi

Pear

Any melon

Here’s a link to a site I use to get juicing recipe ideas. They tend to use a bit too much fruit for my needs so I ease back on the fruit. But if you’re just getting started, this is a great site. Oh yeah, I’m not endorsed by this site at all. I just like it. They also have a lot of articles and other info pertaining to juicing.

https://juicerecipes.com/

If you haven’t tried juicing, I strongly suggest you do. It doesn’t have to be an every day thing. But any way to eat healthier is a step towards a healthier you! - DeAnna

How I'm Losing Weight

Previously, I wrote an article about the importance of keeping a weight loss journal. In it, one is supposed to keep all pertinent information so it would be easier to see that indeed progress towards ones goal weight is being made despite the lack of visual progress. I mean really, who can tell if they've lost .2 lbs? Or how anyone really tell if their BMI has gone down by .1?

As fortune and overeating would have it, I too have seen the ugly results of not watching my diet. In the midst of lemon sorbet with champagne to celebrate summer, waaaaay too much fried chicken when my boyfriend and I broke up, and the impulsive demon which possessed me to buy (and eat) Zingers.....sigh. Yes, it seems that even those of us who know better can succumb to the evils of a bad diet. My punishment? 38 lbs of bra fat, tummy rolls, muffin top and that ever disgusting underarm wave. While I saw the numbers on the scale steadily creep upwards, I simply told myself that all I had to do was to starve myself for a couple weeks (a horrible tactic I was accustomed to in my early 30's) and all would be well in the world. Ok at least MY world.

Yet regardless of my lack of caloric intake, the scale kept saying the same thing. And I became increasingly convinced that someone had played a cruel joke and painted that fat number on my scale.

Being in my mid 40's, I came to the quick realization that this weight, (the equivalent to a 40lbs bag of dog food) would require a more disciplined and structured plan to allow for my now slower metabolism. Gasp! I really AM middle aged! And it was then that my realization turned to panic and I knew that I HAD to do something before any more time slipped by.

The consequences of my lack of discipline caused my health to deteriorate at an alarming speed. I noticed that my heels hurt very badly and after seeing a doctor, he said that I could stretch to help with the pain and that steroid shots were also a possibility, but that they only offered temporary relief and was not to be considered a cure. He said that he too suffered from this chronic illness. He was also obese. Since I am a proponent of not allowing insurance to pay for illnesses that are preventable, I got to thinking. Had my weight gain caused my plantar fascitis? In addition to extreme heel pain, I would become breathless when I climbed my stairs. I busted my ass to be able to get a large home with two stories and now it was becoming a bother? Awww hell no! My skin was dull and the wrinkles in my face seemed to deepen. Something had to be done. I also developed and increasingly difficult ability to focus, I became very forgetful and I simply felt unattractive.

Knowing my body the way I do I knew that a strict keto diet or carbohydrate controlled diet was in order. And so began my weight loss journey.

First let me say that a keto diet may not be the best solution for you. You have to be smart dear reader! PLEASE be smart and understand what works for one person may not work for another. This is what I did and if you decide to follow suit, don't be sending me any hate emails about how sick you got. There are a lot of weight loss programs out there so do your research and maybe check with your doctor to find the best one for you.

Okay with that said, I was and as of this writing am still on a keto diet. That's health lingo for a “ketosis” diet. Simply put, it's a diet that restricts carbohydrates to the point of forcing your body to use it's fat supply to live. It's a state called ketosis. There are strips you can buy at the pharmacy to test your level of ketosis, but I'm such a cheap ass, I just have a scale that measures my weight to the .20lbs. If I continue to lose even .2lb, I know I'm still in ketosis. If I don't lose or even gain, then I know something's off. Oh yeah, I also bought one of those scales that measure body fat, water content, bone density and BMI. K it was 45 bucks but it was one of the best investments in my health.

So I began by cutting out nearly ALL carbs. That's right. Extreme Atkins, South Beach or whatever trendy carb diet you can think of. I eat only meats, cheeses, eggs and fish. THAT'S IT. Is it tough? Hell yeah at first, I thought I should just settle into being flubbery forever. But after the first 2 days I lost 3 lbs....yeah yeah it was water but who cares? Then by the 5^th day, my body was settling into ketosis and I saw steady loss. I weighed myself (and still do) at the same time every morning. On an empty stomach, before anything by mouth and after visiting the restroom.

Ok so are there any tricks to this extreme keto diet? YES YES YES.

1)Sugars of any kind are forbidden. They're the devil. And if you decide to do this diet, make sure you pay attention to the ingredients for hidden sugars. The labels may say “0 carbs, 0 sugars, but in the ingredients, you may notice sugar waaaaay down on the ingredient list. Also check for and avoid dextrose, sucrose and even sucralose....basically anything that ends in “ose”.

2)When it comes to meats, sweet Italian sausage, honey ham (or any other honey meat) are forbidden. I buy those cheap packages of loose lunch meat...specifically plain ham. Boring? Yes. Effective? Yes! I try to avoid red meat but it is allowed. I just have trouble digesting it so I stick to tuna in water, boiled or broiled chicken and the occasional pork or lamb steak. You can also have just about any cut of meat. Fats are allowed although keep in mind that if you're looking get lean, then lean meats are preferred. Read the labels especially when seasoning your food!! I can't stress it enough. Lowry's seasoning salt is one of those sneaky products that has sugar in it. I've learned to just eat the meat plain, or with mustard (plain yellow mustard, not honey flavored!) and good ole mayo. Those packages of pepperoni that you put on pizza are good for nibbling. Again, read the label. I found that Hormel has an acceptable pepperoni.

3)Eggs are fine and you can have as many as you want. I like them with sugar free bacon or sausage (a little tough to find but well worth the hunt!) I also like making deviled eggs for a snack. Yum! Hard boiled are good too with a teeny bit of salt.

4)Cheeses are okay too which I'm glad. Again, I can't stress the importance of reading the label. There are a few cheeses that have some kind of sugar and it will depend entirely on the brand. Some jack will have sugar, some won't. I've found the brands in my store that work for me and I suggest taking the time to find yours. I like little cubes of cheese with the pepperoni.

5)What to drink? Water! Lots of it! The more the better, up to a gallon a day. Your skin will thank you for it. It also really does help keep that hungry feeling away. What else? Any unsweetened tea. I've noticed that ANY drink with aspartame just throws me out of ketosis and backfires so no diet sodas that have Nutrasweet/aspartame. Splenda is not very good for you either and there are reports of people having allergic reactions to it. Stevia also seems to halt progress although I don't know why. So I have flavored brewed teas (Celestial Seasonings has a good line) and I do have on occasional Lipton diet green tea. Maybe once a week but it does tend to slow down the rate of my loss so I don't want to know what would happen if I drank it every day.

So there's my personal secret to losing my weight. Will it work for you? I have no idea. I only know what works for me. Please be smart if you decide to try it. If you do, let me know how you did! I'll address exercise in the near future. You didn't really think you could escape it did you?

I've added a few pics of what I eat and added a bit of humor too.

Namaste & God Bless,

Keeping A Weight Loss Journal

If you're planning on losing weight, the recommended rate to lose is about 1-2 lbs a week. Any more than that can pose numerous health risks. But as the scale slowly makes it's way towards your goal, it sometimes can still be discouraging when you don't see actual results. That's why it's recommended that you keep a weight loss journal.

A weight loss journal is similar to a scrapbook. It tracks every aspect of your weight loss journey. It can be a simple folder with pockets, or a three ring binder. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you may even wish to keep an actual scrapbook and log your journey to better health for reference. Any way you choose, the weight loss journal is meant to keep you motivated during those times when it's difficult to see progress. Just be sure to have blank paper to keep your notes, and pockets for pictures of your progress. If you're the technical type of person, you can even keep everything in a computer folder.

In your weight loss journal, take a “before” picture. Write down all your measurements at the time you begin your weight loss program. Be sure to measure your chest, bust (women), upper arms, forearms, waist, hips, upper thighs and calves. Measure again every month and take another picture wearing the same clothing as the first picture and in the same pose, with the same background. Subtract the new measurements from the previous so you can see your progress. This is important since you may not be able to visually see your progress. Also, log all your food intake. Depending on which path to weight loss you choose, log your carbs, points, calories, fat grams or all food eaten and at what time. Record the date on all entries.

It's also recommended that you log all your exercise and calculate how many calories each activity has burned. There are many online resources that can tell you how many calories are burned for just about any activity, even when it's not a “workout”. Make notations of your resting heart rate, if you broke a sweat as well as any aches or pains you may have. Keep track of any and all accomplishments since sometimes we don't realize we are indeed making progress. For instance, you many not notice any change in your appearance but may notice a lower resting hear rate which is an indicator of progress. Another example is if you are able to stretch further than before, or don't get as winded doing something that before would leave you breathless. Those accomplishments are huge! They are indicators that your body is beginning to function more efficiently which will help in losing weight.

Once your weight loss journal is established, it really doesn't take much time at all to maintain. It can be small and fit in your purse, or even entered into your hand held electronic organizer. The point is to keep track of all the information so you can see your progress. And taking note of the journey towards better health can be just as rewarding as reaching the goal.

FREE Weight Loss!!

So you want to lose weight. And flooding our televisions are advertisements for costly programs, clubs and pre-packaged foods. But what is someone to do if they're on a tight budget? We are in the middle of a recession after all and many budgets do not allow for such programs. But fear not! Below are some suggestions that not only helped me just lose 10lbs in 3 weeks (and still losing), but many of the ideas are free. Yes that's right free! All it takes is determination and an adjustment of the mindset. Try any or all of these and see how much weight you lose.

1)Eat smaller portions- Seems easy enough right? But exactly how do you stick to it? After researching the cause of obesity in America, it seems that other countries eat smaller portions. And smaller portions equal smaller people. In many countries, a standard dinner plate is around 9". In America they can be up to 11". To start eating smaller portions, replace your dinner plate with a salad plate. And don't pile the food high either! I have weaned myself to a saucer for my portions and I still feel great. Limiting my portions has taught me to make every taste count. Which means, no empty calorie food which will cause me to be hungry in an hour. I have effectively trained myself to make better choices such as proteins and vitamin packed vegetables. For snacks, I choose fresh fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth instead of pastries and baked goods. Since doing so, my palate has become more sensitive meaning processed foods have a "weird" chemical taste that I now find rather gross. Cost: FREE

2)Drinking water with your meal will cause a sense of fullness which will help you to eat less. Besides, water helps keep you hydrated as well as a myriad of other health benefits. Cost: FREE

3)It takes anywhere from 10-15 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain that it's full. So I started giving my brain a chance to catch up. No matter what I'm eating, I'll stop when I've eaten ½ then have some water. Then I'll wait about 10 minutes. If I still feel hungry I'll eat more. This way I can stop when I've had all I need and won't have the opportunity to overeat or gorge myself. Cost: FREE

4)One of the hardest weight loss sabotaging habits to break was the consuming of sodas. Joan Collins was asked why she never drank diet sodas. Her response was because she had never seen a thin person drink one. That statement sat on my brain for years before I came upon a personal trainer who explained that it's the carbonation that actually prevents weight loss. While diet sodas may not cause weight gain, they will keep you from actually losing. To break my soda habit (used to drink a 2 liter of regular cola each day!) I switched to diet first to stop my weight gain. Then I would drink a glass of water for every glass of diet soda I drank. I slowly went down to ½ glass of soda for every 1 ½ glasses of water. Eventually I replaced the soda altogether with pineapple, orange or apple juice. Cost: approximately $2.00-3.00 USD per gallon of juice.

5)Cut out fast foods. Yes they're tasty, yes they're convenient. However with all the easy to fix foods available at the market, there's no reason why a quick, healthier meal can't be made at home for a fraction of the cost. There are also a lot of cookbooks available that focus on low cost meals in minutes. And when you think about it, sometimes the line at a fast food place can take 15 minutes. You can easily make a healthier dinner for you and your family in the same amount of time for a lot less money.

6)According to sleepdeprivation.com and many other experts, inadequate sleep can cause weight gain. "Leptin and Grehlin are hormones that help the body control appetite and weight gain and loss. Leptin suppresses appetite, while Grehlin increases appetite and may prevent a person from losing weight.
When lack of sleep becomes a chronic problem, levels of Grehlin increases, causing greater appetite, and levels of Leptin decrease. Regardless of diet and exercise, it's possible that some obesity is caused, or made worse, by sleep deprivation." For more information, go to their website or simply do a Google search for "sleep deprivation and weight gain". So get in your pj's, grab your fluffiest pillow and sleep away the pounds! Cost: FREE

7)When you've had a good night's sleep, get out and walk. Any walking is better than no walking. Either by parking your car further from the entrance at the mall, taking the stairs instead of elevator or just walking in your neighborhood, there are many ways to get walking. With so many professions putting us behind desks and on computers, making and taking time to be active is more important than ever. For some suggestions on being more active, check out http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2271507/fun_calorie_burning_fall_activities_pg3.html?cat=5
Hey, walking just may help you get that good night's sleep! Cost: FREE

8)Another low cost way to lose weight is to calm down. In today's time, stress levels are at an all time high and according to experts, this leads to weight gain. Taking time to reduce stress can keep cortisol levels normal. According to www.webmd.com"cortisol works on a different timetable. Its job is to help us replenish our body after the stress has passed, and it hangs around a lot longer. It can remain elevated, increasing your appetite and ultimately driving you to eat more," For ideas on naturally reducing stress, visit http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2488399/most_popular_tips_for_naturally_reducing.html?cat=5

Losing weight need not be expensive or difficult. It only takes determination and a willingness to adjust our mindset. Try one of the suggestions or try them all and see just how much you can lose!

Water And Weight Loss

Most people understand that water is important for keeping the body healthy and hydrated. But can it actually help in losing weight? It seems so and for several reasons.

First of all, when you drink a little water before eating, say 8 oz, a feeling of fullness is created causing you to eat less. Of course eating less when combined with with exercise helps to burn excess calories which will result in weight loss. It also helps to eat foods that are higher in water content such as carrots, broccoli, grapefruit, yogurt and apples. These foods help to create a feeling of fullness in themselves while helping to keep you hydrated.

Water also help to keep the joints and muscles lubricated which is necessary to burn calories and help reduce stiffness of the joints and muscles after exercise. If your muscles are dehydrated they don't burn calories as efficiently. In fact, when the body is dehydrated, it goes into a “water starvation” mode, holding on to every bit of water that it can. It's called water retention and it's what gives you that puffy or swollen look. Once the body is receiving enough water, it knows that there is a plentiful supply and begins to function properly by flushing toxins through urine and sweat. Also the joints become lubricated which can help during your workout. It's not uncommon to lose five pounds the first week of drinking adequate amounts of water. Of course that weight is mostly water, but who wants to hold on to all those toxins?

How much water should we be taking in? For an average person, 8-9 8oz glasses of ice cold water is recommended in addition to the water that consumed through foods. This should be taken in throughout the day to keep a steady level of hydration. For athletes, those who have long workout routines or individuals who are very overweight, more is recommended. This is because it takes more to maintain a healthy level of hydration than an average person. It's also not a good idea not to wait until you are thirsty because by the time you feel thirsty, the body has already begun to dehydrate. This could mean that it would take more than a glass or two of water to get back to a healthy level of hydration.

There are a lot of people who do not like the taste of water. If that is the case, there are a couple things to try. First would be to try spring water. Since waters do indeed have different flavors, try several different types. I recommend ice cold spring water. If taste is still an issue, try squeezing a little lemon or lime juice to add a touch of flavor. When you think that you really are doing the best for your body, it becomes something you enjoy.

Skinny Eating.....My Answer To Surgery

Losing weight is an effort. There's no doubt about that. And it's no secret that eating less = weight loss (in addition to keeping active and eating properly). I mean when you think about it, most of the weight loss products out there are aimed at helping you eat less. There are diet pills that suppress appetites, surgeries that lessen the stomach's capacity, and other pills that puff up inside the stomach to give the illusion of being full. But are these really necessary? All we really need is determination and self discipline. Is it easy? Not always, but that doesn't mean it's overly difficult or cannot be done. Here's a nifty little trick I learned to shrinking the stomach's capacity. And it's free.

Have you ever noticed how the majority of Europeans are thinner than Americans? How can that be considering their diet is rich in carbs, cremes and sweets? Perhaps it's because in Europe the average dinner plate is 1-2 inches smaller than in the U.S. That means every day Americans are filling their plates with more food than their thinner European friends. I personally know several people who are very overweight and eat healthy. Yes, skinless chicken breast is good for you, but when you're eating 4 at a meal, it's no longer healthy. That's just plain gorging. Again, it's about the portions and self control. So if you want to lose weight, try switching your dinner plate to a salad plate. And don't pile it super high either. No more than 1 ½ inches. When our brain sees a full plate, then sees an empty plate, it registers that we have completed our meal. Many of us were taught as children to eat everything on our plates. I know I was. And there's something that just seems wrong about leaving food on the plate. Maybe it stems from our grandparents going through the depression and eating everything because they didn't know when they would eat again. I don't know, it's just my theory.

Now here's the key to not being hungry when you first switch to smaller plates. Eat slowly! It takes the brain 20 minutes to receive the message from the stomach that it has had enough to sustain the body or that it's full. This means it should take you at least 20 minutes to eat. Longer if you really want to be good to your body. It also takes about 10 minutes for tastebuds to fully open up. So when you sit down for a meal, start by drinking at least ½ glass of water. Then when you take your first few bites, let the morsel rest on your tongue for just a minute and allow your mouth to salivate. Notice which area of the tongue is responding, enjoy the flavor! Set your silverware down while you chew. Chew thoroughly. Then when you've swallowed your bite of food, pick up your fork/spoon and repeat. After your 3rd bite of food, drink ½ glass of water. When you've done this three times, stop eating. Converse if there are others at the table. If you're in a restaurant alone, read a page of a book or a short article. Wait 5 minutes. Then before picking up the silverware again, really evaluate whether or not you are genuinely hungry. Many times, people with the overweight mentality believe that if they aren't full then they are hungry. That simply is NOT true. You do not need to eat until you're full. You need to eat to sustain your body and your body will do just fine when the nutritional needs are met. So STOP. Evaluate, and IF you are still genuinely hungry, continue eating in the same manner only proceed with the awareness and understanding that you will stop right at the point of not being hungry any more. Don't tell yourself “another 3 bites then I'll evaluate”. Take a bite or two then drink a little water. Don't worry about what's left on your plate. If you still cannot bring yourself to throw it away, save it for later. I can't tell you how many times I saved one or two bites when I first started to re-learning how to eat. The first few days, I would save a little. Then after about a week or so, I was saving 3 or 4 bites, then I stopped filling up the salad plate. I “loosely” filled it, and the borders of the plate got wider and wider. Within 6 weeks, I had lost 15 lbs! Once you get used to it, eating slowly and eating smaller portions will become second nature. It takes about 3 weeks to settle into your “skinny eating” style but hopefully you'll feel proud of yourself like I did when I realized that all it took was being aware and controlling myself! You can do it too!

Namaste and God Bless

Caution: It is very easy to have a false sense of security when you start seeing the weight come off. You may think that it's okay to get “full” just this once, but what you will be doing is stretching your stomach again and setting yourself up to larger and larger portions. Don't get caught in that trap.