Good And Bad Diet Substitutes
Susan Nelson Hopkins
Everyone has a favorite food, or a favorite type of food. When dieting goes awry, it is usually because we are so fond of a food (usually a food that is not incredibly healthy), that we falter on the diet because we break down and indulge ourselves.
This action can plunge dieters into a downward spiral, making us feel like we aren't strong enough, that we can't control our appetite... and a number of other sad and depressing thoughts. Most people have temporary lapses of judgment, especially when it comes to dieting.
Everyone makes mistakes, so the most important thing for a dieter to remember is not to get too down on themselves. This just makes dieting even more difficult.
The key to dieting successfully is to be aware of what you, as an individual, like to eat, and what you are interested in eating at various times. There is often a pattern to an over-eater's eating. Usually, eating five small meals throughout the day will make a dieter's life so much easier... and successful.
Overeating salty or sweet "nonsense" is usually the result of consuming so much sugar or salt that we actually can't taste the flavors any more... so we eat more. And since this happens mostly while watching TV, the sheer volume isn't even noticed.
Luckily, there are a number of healthy, delicious foods that are very helpful in reforming bad eating habits. This means that even when a dieter "sneaks" a snack, it will not be as bad for them. Dieting gets much easier when guilt is taken out of the equation.
Here's a tip... Don't fall into the "substitutes" trap. Those non-fat, low-fat, sugar-free, blah, blah, blah products can be just as hard on your diet as the "fully loaded" foods you're trying to stay away from.
Read the label... does the non-fat or low-fat product have added sugar or salt (they have to make it taste good).
Do the same with sugar-free products... what's been substituted for the sugar. Even those of you using sugar substitutes because of health concerns... read the labels. You, especially, should be extra careful.
There just really isn't any "substitute" for eating healthy, unprocessed, fresh food. It's a common sense thing.
Susan Nelson Hopkins
is the
webmaster for three website collections... the
Eyes-Only-Club (includes several family sites),
Susan's Gardens (a group of gardening sites), and
BirdsnBugsnBees
(a sample of planned kids sites).
Hopkins-Enterprises is another of her sites, and includes links to
family-friendly activities and topics. All websites include material either
authored by Susan or adapted by her... including the graphics. AND, the content
is always family-friendly.
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