Diet Mentality - Win the Battle of the Bulge in Your Mind

Remember the childhood story about the little train that could? I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. That was the little train's mantra and the mentality it took to get him up the hill. That childhood story was trying to teach us a lesson that would serve us well in adult years - battles are won (or lost) by the way we think. The battle of the bulge can be won by changing the way we think, here's how -

* Instead of thinking you're too busy to stop for lunch and grabbing a high fat, low nutrient bag of chips for lunch, think this - The world won't come to a squelching halt if I stop for ten minutes and eat a healthy sandwich for lunch.

* Instead of thinking you deserve to stop for an ice cream on the way home from work because it's been such a rough day, think this - It's been a rough day and I'm going to reward myself with a manicure or massage (or any other non-food reward).

* When you fall off the diet wagon, don't continue eating and thinking that you blew it so you might as well eat whatever you want. Instead think this - What's done is done, so I ate way too many mashed potatoes, but the sooner I stop eating, the better I will feel.

* Don't try to trick yourself by thinking you are buying candy bars for the kids lunches, you know you want to eat the candy. Even if you don't, kids don't need candy bars for lunch. Adopt a diet mentality that thinks about healthy snack options for the kids like animal crackers or fresh fruit.

* Instead of thinking you will offend your host when invited to a dinner party if you don't eat heartily, think of what's best for you. Sit on the opposite end of the table from your host so he/she will not be able to see everything you eat and serve yourself small portions of food. Enjoy a little bit of everything offered at the brunch or dinner party and your host will not be offended and your diet will not be blown.

* Going on vacation and think part of the fun is the ability to eat whatever you want when you want? Change your thinking and view vacation time as a great time to pamper yourself in non-food ways. Think about sleeping late, getting a massage, going shopping, reading, etc. Change the way you think and you won't come home from vacation with an extra ten pounds around your middle.