Food Margin

One of the tricks I play on myself is giving myself food margins. What does that mean? Planning ahead and giving yourself some healthy options. Let me break it down for you. When cutting calories, you try to resist foods you like or love, because you know that if you get close to them you will eat your self silly with it. Whatever "it" is. I am like that with ice cream, cookies, and chocolate. How do I resist? I give myself some food margin, which means that I don't buy them. It means that I don't walk down the Twinkies aisle. They can't call my name if I don't hear them. I don't hear them call my name because I don't go near them. I don't give them the opportunity to do that. I shut them down. Eventually the Twinkies, chocolate, ice cream cones give up and stop trying.

This is a lot words to say, if you don't want to eat the Twinkies-chocolate-icecreamcones, then don't buy them. Don't bring them into your house, give yourself some options, some distance from them. If you put some space between you and ????? (you fill in the blank) then you will be less likely to be tempted by them, eat them, overeat them, or stuff yourself silly with them. Peanut M & M's are are dangerous food like that for me too. Remove the thoughts from your mind. Imagine there is a huge cavern between you and the peanut M & M's. It works!! Once you distance yourself, then you can substitute with more healthier choices without all the guilt.

Now if you are baker by trade this idea may not work for you. I feel your pain. Um....every time you are tempted then eat a breath mint, chew some gum or drink some water. Sometimes you just have to walk away to make some food margin. Whatever it takes..... do what it takes to give yourself a little room from temptation. The more you do it the easier it gets and then one day you won't even think about the peanut M & M's any more.

What are some tricks you have that helps gives you some food margin?