Video: Tips Eat Less Food w/out Hunger & Loss Weight, Nutrition

I eat out of boredom. My biggest meal is usually dinner (bad, I know). This is my only meal with my husband. It's our time to de-stress and talk about the day. I guess I associate dinner with comfort.

I usually have outrageous portion sizes for dinner. I need to start taking a doggie bag instead of finish my plate when eating out. At home, I need to practice portion control.

My biggest problem is skipping meals, usually breakfast and/or lunch. I am ravenous by dinner which is why I have the huge potion sizes.

Video: Healthy Fast Food Menu Item?

My healthy fast food of choice is a Subway sandwich on wheat bread with a vinaigrette dressing. Sometimes I go with a chicken salad or chili and baked potato from Wendy's.

Video: Hungry? Hunger Control, Cravings, Weight Loss, Nutrition

This is a long video but worth the time. I am very guilty of confusing thirst with hunger. I didn't think I was on a sugar cycle. I was hyperglycemic as a teenager and still suffer from horrible fatigue. I know this was directly related to my eating habits. I still have the habit of not eating until the afternoon but I'm trying to break this habit.

How I Fight Cravings

I've scoured the internet and read many magazine articles and books on how to fight cravings. Usually once a craving hits, it's all I can think of. I'm still at the beginning of this food journey. Here are a few tips that are keeping me sane.

I do not keep non-healthy treats at home. I don't even walk down the junk food isle. Ok, I speed walk past to grab the popcorn but you get the point. I just don't buy it! I also make sure I eat before I shop so I don't pick up that barrel-sized ice cream. On the flip side, I try to have healthy snacks on hand.

I have one cheat day a week. I actually skipped my first 'cheat day' to try and get my cravings in check. I'm not sure if I'll make it a cheat day or meal. I'm leaning more toward a cheat meal for the first month to get into the habit of eating healthy.

I've also come up with alternatives to my favorite junk foods. Here are my favorites:

Dairy/Ice cream: Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream or Rice Pudding
Ice cream is my all-time favorite dessert (even though I'd eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could.) I'm very picky about ice cream and have tried quite a few low fat varieties. This brand is very close to the real thing with no yucky after taste. My favs are Vanilla Bean and Butter Pecan. I also love rice pudding and have found a 1/2 cup with cinnamon and light whipped cream to be just as satisfying as a full serving of ice cream.

Salty/Chips: Smart Foods White Cheddar Popcorn
This is what I reach for when I'm in the mood for a salty, crunchy snack.

Soda: Sparkling Water
I love flavored sparkling water. No calories, fat, or sugar. The perfect drink.

Candy: Gum or Hard Candy
I keep trident in my bag at all times. Hard candies are long lasting (don't chew, let it melt!) and pack lots of flavor. I also like Werther's or Nips caramel candies. One goes a long way.

Savory/Crunchy: Hummus with Veggies
I love Trader Joe's kalamata hummus with celery slices or baby carrots.

If you feel that you absolutely need that cookie...eat one. Savor it. Pretend it's the last cookie on the planet. Usually a few bites is all your brain needs to be satisfied. Don't beat yourself up for it. Enjoy it and move on.

Video: Nutrition and Your Mental Health

I have been a bit more conscious of how I feel in relation to what I eat lately. My allergies are usually worse after I eat dairy products. I feel sluggish and my nose is stuffed when I wake up after eating a high sodium meal. I am tired after a huge meal or not drinking enough water during the day.

Video: Eat Healthy Food on a Budget Tips

I began transitioning to a more organic diet in '08. Most of my reasons are ethical, others are nutritional. We know organic doesn't necessarily mean healthy but there are still tons of benefits. The price of organic food has been dropping in the last couple of years. Even so, it can still be a drain on the wallet.

In my case, I take a monthly trip to Trader Joe's to stock up on organic foods and healthy staples. I haven't tried Whole Foods only because I know the prices on most items are a little higher and I don't have a store near my home.

Other ways I stock up on healthy foods on a budget is shopping at "ethnic" supermarkets. There is a large Asian supermarket near my home that sells fresh fish and tons of fruit and vegetables year-round. I can't find most of these items at any other conventional food mart.

Video: Top 10 Motivational Tips

I will post videos every couple of days for the month of January to help start us out right for the new year. I'll share how they relate to me.

This video is purely to get our motivational juices flowing. Her tips are excellent and can be applied to many different situations and goals in our lives. Setting up reminders and reinforcing my health goals throughout all aspects of my life is something I am working hard at.

My Healthy Food Staples

Even though I'm nowhere near my goal weight, there are a few healthy foods I eat routinely. Here are a some of my staples.

Diet Soda: My husband and I have been strictly buying diet soda for about 6 years now. It was a tough switch. I hated the taste at first, but have tried enough brands to know which ones have the least aftertaste. My favs are sprite zero and diet cream soda. Least fav is diet coke or pepsi, even though I'll drink it with lemon.

Splenda: I take splenda with just about every coffee. My husband and I go to diners a lot (I know, bad habit) and we always have to ask the waitress for splenda. I despise equal/nutrasweet.

Olive Oil: I cook with olive oil (or cooking spray) about 99% of the time. I love using different oils such as sesame and peanut to cook with (I'm a foodie) but olive oil is the staple. It burns easily at high temperatures so keep an eye out for smoke.

Granola: I love granola...even if it's eaten with ice cream. One of my fav desserts is sliced, fresh strawberries with granola and a dollop of whipped cream. My fav breakfast at work is a McDonald's parfait (with granola!)

No Pudge Fat-Free Brownies: These are sinful, and I'm not even a "chocolate" person. I buy them at trader joe's but have recently seen them at my local pathmark for the same price.

Nuts: I buy raw almonds, pecans and walnuts by the pound from TJs. They're very nutritious, curb my appetite and are a great snack.

Seafood: I rarely ate seafood as a child. It was sort of a luxury for us. I found as an adult that I love fish, especially shellfish. I keep large bags of seafood mix (for pasta), shrimp and tilapia in our freezer. I love white, boneless fish and have hooked my husband on it too.

Kick Cravings to the Curb

Check out this video to get the scoop on battling cravings with...of all things...cinnamon! I am very intrigued by homeopathic/all natural remedies and medicines. I will be trying this tip in the very near future, like tomorrow morning! Ms. Token Fat Girl has an awesome recipe which incorporates a decent amount of cinnamon. I'm a huge fan of smoothies and actually bought one for breakfast this morning. A local Mexican restaurant has a huge array of foods to create your one-of-a-kind smoothie. I had the Strawberry/Granola/Pecan/Splenda today. Splenda smoothies take a little getting used to, but the benefits far outreach the taste. Plus, I felt full for hours!

A quick search on craving control yielded a ton of helpful articles and tips. A few tips that caught my attention were:
• Brush your teeth/chew gum
• Fill up with water
• Keep your triggers out of the house

I added a countdown above the calendar. It's set to end in mid-February (my birthday) 2009. Yes, I'm shooting for great health by 2009. However, entering my 30s in great health is more important to me than looking good for New Years Eve.

Video: Super Foods!

I haven't tried most of these items. I've recently introduced agave nectar and quinoa into my diet. I hope stevia will begin to be used by consumer products.