Drink, don't graze
I have always been a grazer. I don't eat a large amount of food during my meals. I never get my money's worth from a buffet. But, my battle with weight came as a result of grazing throughout the day. I ate as a habit much like a smoker smokes as a habit. Finally, I found an alternative to my frequent snacking. I am not recommending my alternative to anyone as medical advice or as a diet expert. I simply want to share the method of breaking the snacking habit that worked for me with you in hopes that, if you are a grazer looking to break the habit, my plan will also help you.
In order to break my habit of snacking I stopped filling my cabinets with tempting snacks. Instead, I buy a supply of water and some lemons and limes for flavoring the water. When I get the urge to snack I go to the refrigerator and grab some water. Drinking 4 to 8 ounces of water eliminates my desire to eat.
Often when cooking I would find myself grazing as I prepared a meal. Now I keep a bottle of water on the counter to sip on as I cook. This prevents me from consuming an unknown number of calories even before I sit down to eat.
I keep water with me at work and in the car. By drinking often throughout the day I no longer have the desire to frequently reach for unhealthy, high calorie snacks.
Statistics indicate that on the average, most of us do not consume the recommended amount of water each day that our bodies need. I like to think that by substituting water for snacks I am being kind to my body. I know that the plan of “drink, don't graze” has reduced the amount of calories I consume thus resulting in desired weight loss. I feel better than I did before starting on this plan. Drinking rather than grazing has been an effective plan for me and one that I hope works for anyone willing to try it.
