Comments on Sneaky Tricks

Some of the tricks they mentioned that have worked for me have been eating more salads and soups & adding more fruits and veggies to my regular food choices. I liked the idea of adding only one extra serving at a time. I think it's easier to stick with it if you don't make large, drastic changes. You hardly notice one small change, but after you've made several of them, they can add up to big results.

I also am a fan of "grazing"--eating more frequent, smaller meals. I've lost the most weight when I've eaten that way. Sometimes it's hard, though, because I have an irregular schedule. I've been caught needing food, but not having any. Then when I can eat again, I'm super hungry and I overeat. So I have to plan carefully to do that.

I've been noticing lately that I tend to eat exactly what I put on my plate. So, my latest trick for portion control is smaller plates. I don't usually go back for seconds, so I do eat less because I can't fit as much food on a smaller plate. Or maybe the same amount looks like more. I don't know. This is the one childhood habit I can't seem to break--eating everything on my plate. My mom chose the amount we were going to eat by serving us. And she expected us to eat it all. I can't seem to break that habit, so I'm trying to start off with less food.

Walking is a biggie with me. I'm still walking my three miles, five days a week. We've been reorganizing our kitchen, now that we have a good step stool. Paul moved the higher shelves down a bit, but I still have to climb up the step stool. Climbing the step stool and bending down to get the stuff out of the lower cupboards is giving me an unexpected boost in exercise. I've been cooking the last of the three Thanksgiving meals we're eating this year and have noticed that I'm getting a lot of exercise in my tiny kitchen. Surprising!

Increasing fiber is the last thing I've been doing lately. And the last one in the article I've had experience with. That has been successful for me in the past. I'm increasing the fiber in what I bake. I purchased the King Arthur Flour Whole-Grain baking cookbook for my birthday. I'm going to experiment with adding more whole grains to my baking, since I love to bake.

The one other thing I need to get back to is getting at least eight glasses of water. I keep forgetting to take it with me and get behind. I notice that when I don't drink it all my ankles and hands will swell up a bit from the extra water my body holds. Plus, it's super important to drink enough water when you eat more fiber.

You can see why I decided to write a post, rather than just comment on the article. I had a lot to say. Good article. Very thought-provoking.