Your Guide's Top 5 Tips

Here they are ... the five weight loss tips that always work for me!

1. Sayonara, Silo Sized Sodas!
   I’m a very good loser when it comes to doggie bagging half my restaurant portions. But I also have to remember to apply the same portion control to what I drink because I’m a real guzzler. I remind myself often that it’s not uncommon to receive as many as 32 ounces of beverage in one restaurant serving.

   Now, I order children’s sizes at fast food joints and say no to refills at restaurants. Making this one change helped me lose 12 additional pounds after several months had passed.

2. I Cheat, Therefore I Succeed
   The only diets I’ve been able to stick to over the years are the ones that give me a little leeway. (Frankly, I’ve always cheated on the ones that don’t allow me any.) Bottom line: Any diet that will not allow me my favorite foods occasionally isn't going to work for me.

   I find one cheat meal or snack a week does the trick. By planning my snack or meal, I no longer feel I’ve failed when I eat something that is considered off limits ... and I find it much easier to stick to my diet the rest of the time.

3. No TV Dinners … or Lunches … or Breakfasts
   I turn into a mindless muncher when I tune into telly. I ate more snack foods during the weekend I got my Tivo than I had in the entire week before. I think I forgot I was eating until I hit the bottom of the box! When I ate meals tuned in, I always went for seconds (a big no-no for this portion watcher!).

   So, I no longer allow myself to eat while I enjoy my favorite shows. This change led to an additional pound lost by the following week!

4. The Blame Game
   I’ve mentioned my mom’s Southern cooking before (You know … the old if you can stick batter to it, fry it bit?). For years, I blamed my mother's cuisine for my weight issues, completely ignoring the fact that my between-meal snacking and soda guzzling did far more harm than the occasional meal at mom’s.

   I realize now my weight loss is 100 percent up to me and that makes me want to succeed all the more.

5. Get a Life!
   This is perhaps my most important weight loss must. When I don't have a lot going on in my life, I eat too much, too often to fill the void … which inevitably leads to fast and significant weight gain. When I lose touch with friends or slack off on just-for-fun activities, I start living to eat instead of eating to live.

   Quite simply, when I’ve got a fuller life ... I don’t make eating to fill up my tummy my daily goal!