I'm not new to Low Carb, but when you fall off the wagon and don't get back on until the third generation of horses is pulling it, you forget some things! So I thought I'd make a place where we old timers can remind each other and share with the NKOTB (New Kids on the Block).

So, here are a couple:
1. Salad Dressing: Either add water (not enough to make it all gross and runny, just enough to help it go around!) and/or put it beside your salad or whatever you are dressing and dip your fork in it then get a bite of salad. This way you don't waste any on the plate or get a giant amount in bite one and hardly any in bite two!

2. Portion control. I just experienced this. Get what you are getting, and put the rest away. If you are anything like me, it will help. I'm too lazy to go get more if it's put away. But if it's sitting right there and I'm not really hungry, I'll eat it anyway!

What else? Anyone?

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Heather
182-2/27/08

Heather, looks like the salad dressing trick worked for you! Great!

If at all possible, don't bring tempting stuff into the house. If you can make lc treats for the kids, instead of the Little Debbie snacks, the chips & such that they don't need, anyway, it would help you sticking to your plan. Even when we have all the kids & grandkids over for a meal, we do not have anything in the house that we couldn't eat ourselves. (That doesn't mean the kids won't bring chips & stuff, but at least we don't have it.)

Learn to cook. Sounds kind of odd to say, but the more you can cook for yourself, the less you have to rely on prepared foods, the better off you'll be.

Make your own cookbook. Find recipes that you like, print them out, hole punch them and put them in a 3-ring binder. That way they'll always be handy for you.

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Nita

The biggest help for me is to make sure that I have easy, LC-friendly options around all the time. I just get lazy, distracted, and tired sometimes. It there's something easy that's not carb-friendly vs. something that takes a little effort that is, it's a challenge for me to expend the effort.

I also try to make sure I fix up a big water jug in the morning for the day, with lots of ice. I get water delivered here- bit of a luxury, but the tap water where I live is TERRIBLY-blech! So having a big jug of tasty, cold water to start the day with makes it easier to get it in.

I'll have to think on this some more to see what else I come up with. I've been doing this so long, a lot of it has become second nature to me!

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

I prepare my food for the week..make a batch of jello....boil my eggs...make my Tuna Salad..... Make a large green salad...and hubby will cook lots of meat on Sunday evening to nibble on during the week...This Sunday he is smoking a brisket...yummo!

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LISA

I love this idea!

For me, a couple of things that help:
*Buy all of your veggies once a week and as soon as you get home, wash and cut them up (if needed) and separate into individual, snack-sized baggies. Keep them in the fridge and grab them as you need them. I find that I am often too rushed (or too lazy) during the week to take the time to eat all the veggies I should.

*Ditto this idea with your vitamins! Once a month, I portion out all my vitamins (I take a small handful of various supplements) into individual, snack-size baggies and store them in a cool, dark area out of reach of my children. This way, I never "forget" to take my vitamins because I'm too busy to dole them out.

*I try to stop eating by 7:00 pm or at least 3 hours before bed.
If you simply MUST eat something later, keep it very small like 2 cubes of cheese or some cream cheese on a celery stalk.

*DRINK, DRINK, DRINK (water, that is! )!
Getting adequate water during the day will make you less likely to cheat. It fills you up AND it helps those stubborn fat cells release the water they like to retain.

Let's keep this thread rolling! We can all learn from each other.

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Summer

As aggravating as it is, tracking what you eat has consistently been shown to be important to long term weight maintenance, not just weight loss.

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BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Brenda - Yes, I agree 100%. Since I started tracking food I've been more faithful to staying on plan. When I don't track I can make 100 excuses on why it's okay but just seeing the facts all laid out I know when I need to stop.

I always wear a pedometer. It can be an annoying reminder on how I need to get up and do something. It is a motivator as well letting me know when I've had a good day.

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