I'm continuously surprised that my "fight to be fit" campaign on this blog and in the newspaper has garnered so much attention, more than I ever imagined. I'm so grateful for the phone calls, e-mails, cards and kind words in person when you spot me at the gym. The support is AWESOME, but more than that, it's cool to know that so many people are on similar journeys of their own. So please, keep it all coming, especially the tips.Which brings me to today's post. Here are a few tips given to me by readers that I think are pretty fantastic.
1. I'm a night eater. Right around 8 p.m., I get the urge to go snack on something. A coworker told me she is, too, and so after dinner, when she knows she's not going out anymore, she goes and puts on her pajamas. It's sort of a mind trick that gets her thinking about bedtime rather than snack time. I've tried this, and it really works for me. I also go up to my room to watch TV and play on the computer so that the kitchen is far away.
2. One reader suggested I try lemon juice and pepper on my salads instead of fat free dressing. It cuts about 100 calories, and it's delicious. I also like the salad sprays by Wishbone. Ten calories!
3. Do you have a sweet tooth? A reader told me she hated dieting because it felt like she could never eat anything sweet. So her trick was to buy strawberries, strawberry yogurt and low-fat granola. When she gets a sweet craving, she makes her own homemade parfaits that are about 200 calories, and it cuts her craving. I LOVE parfaits. Kwik Trip has them premade for 280 calories. I stock up and have them for breakfast.
4. One reader said she read my column about having four glasses of wine one night and offered a tip for another kind of drink. She suggested using diet soft drinks in place of full-sugar when ordering mixed drinks. Like a Diet Coke and bacardi is about 80 calories, whereas a full sugar version could be twice that if not more.
5. After reading my blog entry about "wishful closet organizing," where I talked about gazing at clothes that don't fit yet, a reader told me that she always keeps one shirt hung up in her closet in plain site that she doesn't fit into yet. Every time she loses a few more pounds, she tries on the shirt. When it finally fits, her reward is to wear the shirt to the mall, where she buys another pretty shirt that doesn't quite fit yet. The incentive keeps her going.
Keep the tips coming, everyone! I'm using a lot of them.
You could just go to bed before 8! Ha ha ha. That was lame. I know. Anyway, good for you Amanda! You're doing great.
ReplyDeleteNot a bad idea. I could use some more sleep, anyway. : ) Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHere's on of my favorite sweet/healthy treats: Non-fat vanilla yogurt mixed with chocolate granola (I get the Bear Naked brand at Target/Hy-Vee). You have to be a little careful because granola is pretty high-calorie, but I went with a little bit below the serving size on the granola and the regular serving size with the yogurt and it was right around 200 calories. Lots of protein so it's filling. It's a great dessert after a meal :)
ReplyDeleteBut I like Nicole's suggestion, too :)
Love it! I haven't had anything remotely chocolatey in weeks. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am devoted to yogurt with granola and blueberries. I'm also devoted to going to bed early, but none of my kids cooperate. Saboteurs.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are also responsible for my inability to match singular pronouns with singular verbs.
ReplyDeleteNone of my kids cooperates.