For all you daily weight trackers ...

[Sixty]

What kind of corrective action do you take when you're above your weight target? I'm good about tracking my weight - but it's been going up the past few months and I haven't responded yet to the increases.

I'm thinking about making some flash cards with advanced eating techniques to remember such as "Put down your fork between bites." and "Eat slowly." Then whenever I'm over my target weight, I would review these cards to help me become a little more mindful about my eating habits. I need to learn to react to changes when they are still minimal and easily corrected ....

Any other ideas/suggestions?

[noni]

This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I skip meals here and there to stay on track or lose more weight, as well as do No S. I'm a weekly weight tracker, not daily.

[Sixty]

Skipping the occasional meal would probably do the trick, but I generally share meals with my friends & family. I wouldn't want to miss their company.

Plus, I enjoy achieving my goals rather surreptitiously.

[vmsurbat]

What kind of corrective action do you take when you're above your weight target? I'm good about tracking my weight - but it's been going up the past few months and I haven't responded yet to the increases.

I'm thinking about making some flash cards with advanced eating techniques to remember such as "Put down your fork between bites." and "Eat slowly." Then whenever I'm over my target weight, I would review these cards to help me become a little more mindful about my eating habits. I need to learn to react to changes when they are still minimal and easily corrected ....

Any other ideas/suggestions?

Well, I personally like your idea of "advanced eating techniques" because I think much of continuing success is a mind game and by "telling yourself the truth", you'll cultivate the habits you want. I like to visit the "mottoes/catch phrase" sticky at the top of the board. Only some of the stories/mottoes/word pictures fit, but those that do, I find quite helpful.

Also, I revisit *what* I'm putting on my plate. I've never restricted any category of food, but when I'm not paying attention, I can easily overeat homemade bread and butter--so I often need to trim back my serving size of that. Note: I don't cut it out completely--homemade bread is just so delicious!

I also revisit paying attention to the amount of fruits and veggies I'm eating, and try to make sure 1/2 my plate at lunch/dinner is fruit, veggies, or salads.... This is not a "rule", like "no sweets, no snacks, no seconds except on S days", but a general guideline I like to follow because I think it is a healthy, tasty way to put together a meal.

HTH,

[Chance]

A couple of modifications that I have used:

Skipping a meal here and there is a favorite of mine, but I seem to do well with it. If doing this causes you to overeat at subsequent meals, stop immediately.

Use a smaller plate at certain meals. I like this one because it does not disrupt the habits that you have formed, which is infinitely more important than a short term weight gain.

Go Vanilla No S on weekends too, or one of the two days.

And, as noted by someone else, increase fruit and or veggies. This is a good one for me because I am not a big fruit and veggie guy...but I like to further enhance this with a trick. So for me, I would add an apple to dinner, it has to take up space on my plate and, this is the key, I eat the apple first. The bulk that this apple (80 calories) provides ensures that I am full.

Good luck and let me know what you think.

[Sixty]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I hope some of them will help me to develop more sensible eating habits, which is what it all boils down to ....

[butterfly1000]

And, as noted by someone else, increase fruit and or veggies. This is a good one for me because I am not a big fruit and veggie guy...but I like to further enhance this with a trick. So for me, I would add an apple to dinner, it has to take up space on my plate and, this is the key, I eat the apple first. The bulk that this apple (80 calories) provides ensures that I am full.

This is a good idea to eat the fruit before the meal. I'm not a big fan of fruit either -- I just try to eat it because it's good for you. I find it easier to eat fruit when I'm hungry, so having it before a meal sounds good.

[Sixty]

The fruit-before-the-meal idea seems simple enough - I'll give it a try tonight.

[ironchef]

I'm with Vicki on tweaking with those "advanced eating" options. I find skipping meals or skipping S days messes up the habit I'm trying to create.

The only thing I've done so far is change up my meal content. I have a few "intelligent dietary defaults", for example breakfast of a bowl of oatmeal, a slice of toast with PB and a fruit. When my losses stalled, I reduced the bowl of oatmeal (very slightly, from 4 - 5 Tbsp dry to 3 Tbsp dry) and went for an extra fruit to replace the toast. Pretty soon loading the two fruits and smaller oatmeal bowl onto my plate became as habitual as the previous breakfast was, and I slowly started losing again.

[Sixty]

I mentioned the gradual weight gain to my wife, and she promptly implemented her own advanced eating technique. Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems like the general size of servings at meals has gotten somewhat smaller recently…

[vmsurbat]

I mentioned the gradual weight gain to my wife, and she promptly implemented her own advanced eating technique. Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems like the general size of servings at meals has gotten somewhat smaller recently…

You married a smart woman!