Day 7 of Week 1, How To Trick Yourself Into Dieting

Wt loss today: none
Total wt loss: four pounds in six days

1/2 cup of oatmeal: 150
2 tsp of sugar:30
1/3 cup of 1% milk: 36
1 tbl of powder creamer:30
sweet-n-low
51 pretzel:110
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running total: 401

fried chicken leg: 250
broccoli salad:100
marshmallow salad:100
nut mix:100
taco chip salad:125
3 smallish scotcheroos:375
grapes:50
strawberries:25
3 chips:45
2 more broccoli bites:50
icecream bites:50
total: 1271
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running total:1671
jello cup:10
cream:15
total:25
total 1696

Today Challenge: Getting through a family reunion picnic without overeating, yikes!!

Note on picture: This yummy little snack is only 25 calories. The sugar-free jello is 10 calories. I find these at Wal Mart. The added whipped cream is 15 calories.

Tell me, doesn't this look good?

Well, I think it's safe to say that the potluck picnic was a diet buster. All of my calories were estimated, so I'm hoping they were close to actual. But studies have shown that people tend to underestimate rather than get it right. Hmmm...so I'm a little scared about weighing tomorrow. That whole lose five pounds in seven days may be delayed a little.

On a positive note, this could have been a lot worse if I wasn't dieting. In fact, I know it would have.

Trick Yourself Into Dieting

I've encouraged you all in yesterday's post to start counting calories Monday. But, I know that can be easier said than done. So, today's post is written just for the person who wants to start counting calories tomorrow, but has the feeling that they really won't.

Ever get that feeling?

Here is a little strategy that I have used successfully to jump start my diet. This may work for you if you really want to start this diet but A.) are feeling overwhelmed at the idea of a bunch of measuring, counting and keeping track and or B.) are feeling anxiety and fear at the idea of restricting your food intake.

I have mentioned before that over-eating and lack of control of your food intake has more to do with your emotions than anything else, which is an important reason we confront these issues in a food diary.

But if it seems "too much" to start this whole process, then we are going to outwit your emotions by using the cleverness that God gave us and using our knowledge of our emotions to our advantage.

So, if you don't have a food diary, grab a notebook, staple some blank sheets of paper together... anything that is blank and you can write down stuff on.

For this week, you will not restrict your calories at all. You will tell yourself that because it takes 21 days to form a new habit, you are taking this week to train yourself in forming the habit of writing down what you eat.

This relieves you from the anxiety of calorie restriction. No pressure.

And very importantly, this gets you writing down what you eat, which has been proven to enhance weight loss. Recall that the very act of recording your food intake, makes you think twice about what your eating...even though we're not restricting calories yet.

If you don't want to take time to do this during the day, tell yourself that this will only take 10 minutes of your time at night.

Yes, you have to talk to yourself, because it is your emotional self that you're dealing with.

Calorie counting and over-eating can't coexist very well together. For some reason you end up not eating as much as you would if you didn't count calories. I have actually loss weight employing this tactic even though I technically wasn't "trying."

Part 2, estimate your calories. If you do not have a calorie counting book, or don't feel like or have time to look at the back of labels...then estimate your calories. Assign everything you eat an estimated caloric value. At this point, it doesn't matter how accurate or inaccurate your estimations are. Studies have shown that estimates are usually off by 30 to 40 percent.

Why do this? You do this to take advantage of your desire to lose weight. After a few days of recording calories, you will begin to subconsciously assess what you've written down.

And assessment is a good thing. You will begin to look at what you ate and think, "Well, I suppose I didn't really need that...or if I cut that out, I could cut my calories down." You will begin to strategize how to use calories.

Having your brain start to go through this line of thinking, assessing and strategizing, moves you one step closer to obtaining what you want. Weight loss.

And what do you have to lose, really? Either your one week closer to meeting your weight loss goals, or sit where your at right now.

As you do this, you may be tempted to start cutting calories before the week is up. But before you do that, I would advise you to get your food diary set up, and everything else you will need to be successful in your diet, which I will detail in a post later this week.

Oh, one last thing. Weigh yourself Monday morning and three or four days later. Sorry have to throw that one in.

So, if you think your up to outmaneuvering your feelings...give this little strategy a try.