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In my last article, Even more tips to lose weight, I discussed the people dieters interact with each day and how they influence success or failure. The places we visit-fast food establishments, restaurants, movie theaters-any place where food can present a challenge; the things that target our weaknesses-billboard ads, magazine ads, TV; and those that affect our emotional well being-loneliness, boredom, stressful situations, and loss, also play a vital role in any weight loss plan. Even drinking a cup of coffee under certain conditions can trigger and re-established habits that can sabotage the most successful diet.

FAST FOODS:

If your pre-diet eating habits consisted of routine stops at a favorite fast food restaurant whether or not you were hungry, you will be irresistibly drawn to this place each time you pass by. Until wearing blinders when driving becomes legal or until you are strong enough to resist this temptation, find another route to your destination that will not compromise the success of your weight-loss goals.

RESTAURANTS:

There is no reason to abandon your efforts to establish a new and healthier life style just because you have a menu in your hands listing all the tempting foods that contributed to your horizontal growth and health problems. Not all meals must be high in saturated fats and carbs to taste good. That is a fallacy perpetrated by uncommitted people looking for any excuse to condone satisfying their unhealthy, and in extreme cases, glutinous cravings. The truth is you will find deliciously seasoned low fat meals of equal or superior taste in almost every restaurant. However, be wary of the selections offered. They are not always what they are touted to be. Look for the words roasted, broiled, or grilled when making your selection, skip the gravy and order it served au jus with steamed vegetables. I always take along a very small purse-size bottle filled with olive oil when I am eating out. A little olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar tastes great on steamed veggies.

Complex carbohydrates found in vegetables, whole grain breads, oatmeal, and brown rice, provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Potatoes' reputation as a high-carbohydrate white starch has removed them from the meals of most dieters, but they are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber in addition to other vital nutrients. This is no reason for you to go on a potato-eating binge, but a small baked potato eaten occasionally will not destroy your diet. However, mounds of butter and sour cream piled on top definitely will.

If you have just begun replacing your obesity-inducing food choices with healthier ones, and your cup of coffee has always been accompanied by a piece of cake, cookies, or a doughnut, you may be taking on too much temptation by ordering one in a place offering tempting deserts. Refined sugars in baked goods provide calories, but lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber. This is why they are referred to as "empty calories". If you chose to eat desert, fresh fruit is an excellent choice. I like to order fresh strawberries and sprinkle a little splenda on top for extra sweetness. However, low calorie sweeteners can promote sugar cravings in people previously addicted to simple carbohydrates. If you are susceptible to this problem, avoid all low calorie sweeteners especially in the initial stages of your new and healthier way of eating. I personally have found that once simple carbohydrates are removed from a diet or have been extremely limited, minimal use of low calorie sweeteners will not precipitate this problem.

Successful food control depends not only upon your choices. Your eating habits are equally important. Each mouthful of food does not require one or two additional scoops to keep it company on the journey to your stomach. It can make the trip quite successfully alone. Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and wait until you actually feel the food hit bottom before taking your next mouthful. This works to give you a feeling of fullness long before you empty your plate. When you have ingested all the nutrients from a meal that your body requires, a feeling of fullness is your body's way of telling you it has what it needs and it is ok to stop eating. Take the hint and do not continue to consume everything on your plate down to the last morsel of food. Understanding and complying with your body's signals will gradually help you to establish healthier eating habits and make weight control easier.

MOVIE THEATERS, BILLBOARDS, MAGAZINES, and TV:

Candy displays in movie theaters, mouthwatering images of foods on billboards, in magazine ads, on TV and elsewhere are designed to play on your weaknesses, to tempt you without concern for your health or your life. The primary consideration of businesses and advertisers is their bottom line. The use of psychological triggers to induce you to purchase their wares is what keeps them in business. Knowing this should supply a strong enough incentive for you to resist these temptations. I always travel with a snack in my purse-an apple, some nuts, anything in the 100 to 150 calorie range that does not contain refined sugars. It is a good habit to establish, and will get you through those moments of weakness when people are playing games with your mind.

EMOTIONAL STRESS:

Loneliness, boredom, no longer fitting into a favorite article of clothing, the loss of an object to which we have a strong sentimental attachment, any situation involving mild or temporary stress can be dealt with by awareness of the affect it has on the chemical reactions occurring in our brain. The word seratonin is familiar to all dieters. When the brain releases seratonin, tension is eased. Seratonin release is triggered by eating carbohydrates. You do not control the functioning of your brain, quite the opposite-your brain is in the driver's seat. When stressful situations create the irresistible urge to eat in order to relieve tension, your brain is sending signals to your body that it requires carbohydrates. Avoid damage to your health and weight by not loading up on simple carbs, especially in situations such as these, because of the possibility of inducing binge eating. Vegetables, low-carbohydrate snacks, even some deserts can get you through any stressful situation without altering the numbers on your scale. Low fat, low carbohydrate tortillas which are recommended as a bread replacement, contain only 50 calories each. A delicious low fat, low carbohydrate, low calorie snack can be made by rolling up some veggies, salsa, and fat free sour cream in a garlic and herb tortilla. It is both satisfying and delicious as a snack or a light meal. Depending upon your calories in, calories out (see my article, Even more tips to lose weight you can even add low fat chicken strips or steak strips found in any supermarket and enjoy this with a salad as one of your meals. If you prefer to eat a smaller snack, sugar free gelatin contains 10 calories, and sugar free puddings 45 to 70 calories depending upon the brand chosen.

LOSS:

This category includes the loss of a job, a home, the unexpected termination of a relationship, divorce, or the death of a loved one. The subject of diet and weight management is inappropriate and does not apply.

CONCLUSION:

A variety of different foods will provide us with the maximum amount of nutrients needed to maintain a healthy body. Eating one food type in abundance, making minimal selections from other food groops, or eliminating other food groups altogether, will wreak havoc upon your health as well as your weight-loss plans. I always recommend using the food pyramid as a guide in selecting the proper portions of foods from the different food groups. The following link to the United States Department of Agriculture's new food pyramid is extremely helpful. The new food pyramid lists a variety of food choices in each category including charts that provide daily recommendations and daily minimum amounts for children, girls, boys, women and men. Using the food pyramid in conjunction with the above recommendations and those offered in the first and second articles in my weight management series, Common sense guidelines to weight loss and Even more tips to lose weight, will provide you with invaluable tools to guide you along your journey to a healthier weight and a more enjoyable life. Your body will thank you for it!

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