EATING WELL AND LOSING THE POUNDS Part 2

Eat only when you are hungry. Be sure to drink a glass of water first to
determine if you really are hungry or if you are really thirsty. Many people have
the tendency to eat when they see food. It doesn't mean they are hungry; they
just want to eat it. Don't eat anything you're offered unless you really are
hungry. If you feel you must eat it out of being polite, just nibble, don't have a
meal.

Try not to snack between meals, but if you must have a snack make
sure it is a healthy one. If you travel a lot try to find healthy snacks and not junk
food.

Veggies make great snacks. They can get you through the hunger
pangs if you are having them. Carrots are great because they satisfy hunger
and they are packed with nutrients.

Counting calories is a good idea for those must have food items. If it is
a packaged food item, then it will have the calories on the packaging. Be sure
to pay attention to serving sizes in terms of calories as well. An Otis Spunkmeyer
muffin is intended to be two servings, so you have to double the calories listed.
This is where food producers get tricky and you can't fall in their trap.

Work off the extra calories by the end of the week. If you feel you have
splurged too much this week, be sure to get to the gym or go walking a little
longer to work off those extra calories you have consumed.

Stay away from all things fried. If it is breaded, it is better that it is
baked. Fried foods are immersed in fat and oil. Even after the excess has oil has
been drained away, there is still oil absorbed into the food item itself.

Don't skip meals. You should have, at the very least, three meals a day,
but preferably five small meals. This will keep you from getting hungry during the
day and overeating out of starvation.

Just like fruits, fresh vegetables are better than those that are canned.
It is even better if you can eat your veggies raw. When you cook them, you
cook away the nutrients. If you must cook them, try to boil them to the point
that there is still some crispness to them. Also, don't soak them in butter. If you
can buy organic and pesticide free veggies, that is even better.

Don't eat more than one egg per day. It is best if you can reduce your
egg intake to three a week.

Chocolates should be treated as luxury items. Buy the good stuff and
only eat them every once in awhile. If you really savor each morsel, you'll
experience that much more joy in eating them and they will taste even better.