by Dawn Lewis

Created on: May 01, 2009   Last Updated: October 19, 2010

At some point in our lives, all of us find the need to diet and sometimes the battle of weight becomes a roller coaster. It is important to find the right strategies and learn new habits. Here are some dieting tips that might help to improve our dieting success.

Drink plenty of water. In daily living it is important for our bodies to have enough water to flush out the bad stuff and keep ourselves healthy. Drinking those eight glasses of water per day is not always easy because water is just plain. So, you can supplement half of the water by adding a no-calorie, sugar free flavor to the water (like Crystal Light). Water is fiber and helps to keep your body functioning smoothly.

Portion Control. One thing we learn early on is that if we don't control the amount of food we eat, we tend to continue eating until everything is gone. When we are distracted by other things while eating we tend to continue to eat even though our bodies are full. In order to control our portions it is important to look at your plate like a clock; the meat should be one-quarter of the plate, a side like rice should be another quarter and veggies should round out the other half. And, you should not go back for seconds. Make sure you have water at all meals and you'll feel full without over indulging.

Add to your meal. Think about things to add to your diet rather than taking away. It is important that you add fruits and vegetables; you need 6 to 9 servings of fruits and veggies every day. Mostly fruits and veggies are freebies and can be eaten to fill you up!

Are you really hungry? You need to assess if you are eating as a response to the clock or because others are eating, or if you are eating because you are truly hungry. Sometimes to find this out you need to make yourself completely set the table each time you want to eat. Once you have to do this, you'll find that the eating is a conditioned response rather than actual hunger.

Favorite Foods. You need to think about things like your favorite foods when dieting. If you deny yourself, the craving will become difficult and you won't be able to ignore it. So indulge once in a while and satisfy your craving, but be aware of portion control. Don't give up good food for the indulgence, just limit your indulgence to satisfy the craving.

Do short exercise bursts through the day. If you are at work and you are getting stressed because those around you are eating, take a break and take a walk! The walking will do more good than the eating. And,

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