Changing a habit takes time. Strive to have patience in your journey. When thinking of overeating or indulging in a “not-so-great” choice, ask yourself why are you eating it in the first place?! Is it a particular incident that triggered the binge? Is it because you’re bored? Is it because you’re in a situation where you can’t vocalize your feelings? Is it your treat of the day? Is it because you’re starving? All of those reasons affect why you might be overeating. Once you recognize the reason, it will be easier to manage. The goal (and this is the tricky part) is to constantly ask yourself why- never forgetting to be gentle with yourself and to see it as an opportunity to figure out what your body needs (physically and under the surface).

Here are some simple strategies to help prevent overeating:

• Curb your appetite – drink a glass of water before your first bite, enjoy a bowl of broth-based soup, an apple, some raw veggies or a salad before your main dish. It will help limit your appetite and give you a sense of satiety sooner.

• Keep your blood sugar at a constant level all day long by not going any longer than 3-4 hours without having something to eat.

• Eat a snack comprised of both a carb and protein 1 to 2 hours before your meal. For example: cottage cheese with apple, peanut butter with celery, tuna on flavored rice cakes, or yogurt with granola.

• Check in with your emotions, are you really hungry for food? – talk to a friend or keep a journal. Practice the exercise: “10 things I am grateful for.” On a piece of paper write down 10 things you feel grateful for. It can be something as simple as being thankful for a good night’s sleep all the way to being grateful for having your friends and/or family at your side. The important part of the exercise is to focus on the positive things in your life. You’ll see- you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

• Exercise! It’s a great way to elevate your mood and get your mind off food. It also relieves stress and improves sleeping patterns.

• Pamper yourself i.e. polish your nails, get a massage, take a hot bath, or read a great book.

• Eliminate temptation. If the food items are not in your house, you can’t eat them.

• Savor your meal. Every meal should take you at least 15 to 20 minutes to eat. Put your fork/spoon down after every bite and chew your food at least 10 times per bite. It takes our bodies a little bit of time before it registers that it is full. Give it the time it needs.

• Drink water throughout the day. If you are craving flavor, try water with a piece of lemon or lime, or be creative and add a piece of fruit like apple, orange, or watermelon (I love cucumber). Revamp your water by adding seltzer, tea, or a splash of your favorite juice.

• Be mindful (not mindless) of what you put in your mouth. Indulging every now and again is fine, but instead of being hard on yourself for eating a piece of chocolate – enjoy it! Become aware of the taste, texture, and aroma. Slow down, listen to your body, and enjoy the process of mindful eating.

• Shift your eating schedule. Eat most of your calories in the earlier part of your day. Breakfast and lunch should comprise the bulk of your calories, and dinner should be the smallest meal eaten preferably before 8pm.

Portion Control Tips:

As the saying goes: “All things in moderation.” Rather than adopting an extreme diet plan, focus on long-lasting lifestyle changes. Research studies have consistently shown that “popular” diet plans are not effective in reducing weight over the long term. Here are a few portion control tips to help you in the process. They are simple, sometimes challenging to accomplish, but very effective. Take it one day at a time.

1. In some cases, half is so much better than whole- instead of getting rid of all the foods you like, just decrease the portion size by half and supplement your meal with veggies, salad or a light soup. For instance, eat half a sandwich for lunch with carrots and some nuts and save the rest for later. Presto! You have an instant dinner.

2. Visually, aim for your plate to look like this: A quarter of the plate should take up the protein of your choice (chicken, tuna, tofu, or beans), another quarter should be starch (brown rice, quinoa, or sweet potato), and the leftover half should be veggies and/or a fresh salad.

3. Slim down that dinner! When dining out, share your entrée with someone or ask your server to bring a “to-go container” the moment he brings your meal. If you package half of your food at the beginning of your meal chances are you won’t open that container and eat the rest of it until later. Other options are to order an appetizer as you main entrée or ask from the children’s menu. (Tip: out of sight, out of mind; so, ask the waiter to avoid bringing the bread basket or other tempting concoctions)

4. If you like snacking like I do, measure out small portions of your snack to avoid carrying the whole bag of goodies. Take control of your portions without having to deprive yourself from the foods you love. Divvy up foods into single serving snack bags to have on hand. Some healthy ideas are: edamame, nuts with dried fruit, or honey wheat pretzels with a cheese stick, cut up carrots or red pepper slices (with hummus!).

5. How much is a single serving of your favorite snack? Evaluate your servings! Check the box and learn what a single portion of your favorite snacks look like by measuring them out the next time you eat them. It’s a great visual exercise and you’d be surprised at how often what we think is a serving is actually 2 or 3.

6. Say NO to Super-Size-Me and Say NO to Buffets! It is incredibly challenging to eat sensible portions while at an “all-you-can-eat” buffet or at fast food places flashing triple size fries. The next time you’re in this situation, try to think about how bloated, full, and uncomfortable you’ll feel after such a huge meal and ask yourself: Is it worth it?  Does my body really need all that food? What’s my pay off?

7. Cook Once, Eat Twice – think ahead and break your leftovers down into individually-sized containers so that when you reach into the fridge, you’ll be retrieving just enough for one helping. This will help you limit your food intake with no additional effort.

8. Wait before reaching for seconds. If you give yourself some time to wait out the urge, you will often find that you don’t need that second helping. Take a deep breath and remember: it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to feel satiated, so try to wait it out.

9. Keep serving sizes in mind when dining out or making your own meals: 3 oz. of meat is the size of a deck of cards; 1 oz. of cheese is the size of a 4-dice put together; 1 cup of grains or pasta looks like a fist.

Remember, this is not about restricting yourself and living by “rules”.
Its about being mindful and trying to listen for what your body really wants & needs.

Do you have any tips that work for you? Share them with us in the comments!
Questions? As away!

This is Jodi, my coach!  We met in 2005, she transformed me for my Figure competition in 2006, and she has become one of my closest friends.  I can not say enough great things about this woman.  She is tough as nails, tells you like it is, SUPER smart (like MENSA smart!) and hilariously funny. Yes, if she were a dude, I’d be all over her.

(Please not that the references made in this interview to the words “diet/dieted” is not in the restrictive fad-dietey way, but rather a word Jodi uses synonymous to “transformation” or “metamorphosis”)

F: Hi Jodi! I’m so excited to have you here on Fitarella! Please introduce yourself to my fantastic readers!

J: HI!! My name is Jodi Jones and I am a Physique Transformation Engineer. I currently reside at www.jodiojo.com and would love for anybody to stop by and say hi! I am very silly. I enjoy people and I enjoy my craft.

F: What is your background? How did you get into Fitness & Nutrition consulting?

J: My degree is in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in biology. I was focused on Biomed. I was an engineer from 1990 to 2001 when I left the field to stay home with my children. All the while that I was an engineer, I was also an aerobics instructor and personal trainer in the evening. When I left engineering, I just focused on those. In 1998, I added nutrition to my background and have not looked back since. It is now what I am known for more than anything else and at the time of me filling this out, I have dieted well over 1000 (I’m being conservative) women in my short 11 year career. I do diet men as well but have been primarily women for the last 3 years.

F: What is you Fitness & Nutrition philosophy?

J: “Don’t just diet to lose weight, diet to feel & look good.” If you are going to put yourself through the trials of working on a goal, get the maximum amount at the end. Whether it’s beautiful hair, skin and nails, being emotionally sound, hormonally intact or even the top dog in your sport. Be the best that you can be by using food as a resource instead of just a thing you eat all day long.

F: You have had an astounding number of successful competitors on stage in Fitness, Figure & Bikini    ( i’ve seen them firsthand!) What do you think it is about your approach that has worked so well with your clients?

J: I did not diet any of them the same. That builds trust. They realized that I was more invested in their success than i was my ego of the “hottest” diet trend out there. Their health was paramount and I wasn’t afraid to pull the plug on their training if I felt that they were not thriving. I was truly humbled by how much they trusted me while I was in that position. They are some very discerning women.

F: What are the most common mistakes you’ve seen people making when trying to make changes to their body (ie, lose weight, gain muscle)?

J: Doing everything at once and forgetting that life is a habit. Until it becomes a habit, you will make “mistakes” or “not be perfect” and etc. That language bothers me and pretty much tells me that you are not ready for process of dieting. This is life…it’s not a test. There should be no such thing as “I feel like a failure”. It’s more: well that isn’t right for you…let’s try this and see how you do…

F: One of the things we’ve included in my diet recently is Coconut oil. Since people can be apprehensive about it as a saturated fat, can you explain what role it can play in a daily diet?

J: Oooo, where do I start? For one, skin and hair. You will know you are eating it almost right away when your skin is silky smooth and your hair is shiny. 2) energy without insulin spike. It’s an MCT (medium chain triglyceride) so it is digested much faster than regular fat and it gives you a bit of a kick. 3) It’s YUMMY! I love coconut oil in the diet and I am going to do a whole blog feature on it so there is more to come on this…

F: If someone were just beginning a fitness program at home, what are 3 things you’d recommend to get them started?

J: I am assuming you mean in terms of exercise? If so, I would say legs to walk, arms for push ups/pull ups and a butt with a GPS signal that can search out the direction of the floor for when you squat.

F: As a busy mom of 3 and business woman, do you have any tips on how to maintain balance in our daily lives?

J: I struggle with this every day. In fact, when you read my blog I let you in on my struggles with this. I can be like a hamster in a wheel. I LOVE what I do so I always want to do it. But too much of anything–even if you love it–is not good. I recently left my last job over this because balance is that important to me. I needed to find me time/kid time/work time and etc. I will say this, though, because I have become much better at it in the last year: set concrete boundaries and then stick to them. I will not work b/w 2 and 5 when my kids are doing homework and transitioning from school. I will not hang out with the family or answer the phone during work time. This is hard because I work from home. So, I’m learning…

F: You have recently changed the focus of your consulting practice. Can you share with us what you will be doing next? What kind of athletes will you be working with?

J: Two types of people we are really focusing on right now: metabolic repair and athletes who are looking to optimize their nutrition to better their craft. Tennis, soccer, endurance and etc. Whomever you are if you are an athlete-we’re looking for you. Metabolic repair is for the girl who has done everything to lose weight but just cannot. Maybe she has PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Disease) or she has dieted one too many times, but we’re here to back her program down and change her focus so she may start seeing some success. General hotness will always be a part of any company of mine b/c it is my signature, but I am no longer working in the competitive fitness/figure market so it’s not the same as before. No extreme!

F: What are the basic staples that one should have in their daily diet?

J: protein, carbs and fat. And I’ll be a bit more specific than that: fruit and veggies, GOOD FAT and a true protein source.

F: What is your favorite exercise?

J: Deadlift. If I could marry it, I would.

F: Favorite cheat meal?

J: Anything with butter on it. In fact, I’ll take just a stick of butter if you have one!;)

F: You have a blog, Jodiojo.com that is fabulous! What kind of things do you write about?

J: My blog is being groomed towards all usable content. I want everyone to not only learn something new from my blog, but i want to teach them how to then *use it*. Articles are great, but instructions are that much better. Right now I am in the middle of a series titled “Menu Planning” so I am teaching folks how to periodize their foods for beauty and success. (Beauty for me means a body that is functioning properly. Only then will you be beautiful.) Next will either be good fats and how they can work for you or dismounting a diet (you know…how to avoid gaining it all back by learning how to “transition diet”).

F: Thank you sooo much for spending time with us Jodi! Any last words?

J: Besides, I love you fitarella? How about just my signature sign off… WOOP WOOP!:o)

THANK YOU JODI!

Have questions/comments for Jodi? Let’s hear ‘em below!!

I’m back from Berlin, Germany.  Work-wise it was an extremely productive trip, fitness/diet-wise though, not so much.  It wasn’t the traveling factor, it was mostly a lot of delicious dinners, wines & beers and very little working out.  But I enjoyed myself, so I’m not too upset about it.  Live and enjoy the moment.  Isn’t that what we’re all trying to do? No regrets.

But now that I’m back I’d like to refocus on my fitness/clean eating plan that I committed myself to before I left.  The honest truth is that I want to be back in shape to compete again and the only way to do that is to JUST DO IT – CONSISTENTLY! Also, the Olympia is 63 days away, and I won’t lie, I’d like to look good.  Vain? of course, but I won’t apologize for it.  I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to look & feel good as long as you’re not making yourself sick getting there.  I was in that deep dark place many years ago, and never again.  My life is worth living!

Guest post by Kiki of Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? If you haven’t done so already, you must check these ladies out! This super fun duo ( Kiki & Greta ) are hilarious!

There’s a self help saying that rhymes like this, “name it, claim it.” The theory being how can you get better if you don’t first admit you’re sick? Well I have some long held diet delusions and I’m naming them. I’d like you to take a lighter and burn them okay? Maybe then they can stop slapping me down.

Name It Diet Delusion - I can lose 5 pounds a week.
Now since 1969 this has happened ONCE and I had mono but still. It’s like how I believe I will have that dance with Danny Zucko at the gym sock hop. I can’t let it go. (And young tweens of today flash forward to 2028 and replace Zucko with Zac Efron, also in the gym. What I’m saying here is save your pity you’ll need it for your own future self.)
Claim It
Losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is a healthy pace for permanent weight loss. Losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is a healthy pace for permanent weight loss. Losing 1 to 2 pounds a week… yadayada

Name It Diet Delusion – I will get down to my goal weight by {insert occasion}. When I arrive at {insert occasion} I’ll incite desire in some and rage in others. And I will also instantaneously know how to ballroom dance at this new weight.
Claim It
Healthy eating is about lifestyle change and a lifestyle commitment not careening toward {insert occasion.} And no matter what you weigh ballroom dancing is likely not going to spontaneously break out. ALSO you shouldn’t want others to be enraged by your thinness. It’s about health not jealousy. However it is perfectly fine if everybody wants you. (Ask Billy Squire.)

Name It Diet Delusion - I will start my diet tomorrow/Monday/January 1st.
Claim It
The choice for a healthy lifestyle starts now, not Monday. Each minute is a choice. Each minute is an opportunity. And each minute those friggin’ cookies sit in the kitchen all naked and exposed they gain strength. Must destroy cookies.

Name It Diet Delusion – I can’t help it. I have no willpower.
Claim It – I AM SHE-RA, PRINCESS OF POWER, MISTRESS OF THE UNIVERSE. MY WILLPOWER CAN RENT THE EARTH ASSUNDER! Sorry. I got a little carried away.

Name It Diet Delusion – I’ve already cheated so I’ll just eat everything since the day’s already ruined.
Claim It- It’s that choice thing again. A mistep shouldn’t lead to totally chucking my progress. A mistep shouldn’t lead to chucking my progress. A mistep yadayadayada

Name It Diet Delusion – I love chocolate. I can’t live without it so much a lot. (My love of chocolate can’t be bound by grammar or sense a lot.)
Claim It – Fat Free Sugar Free Jello with whipped cream is just as good. This is a lie. Chocolate so much a lot is better. God help me if loving it is wrong I don’t want to be right.

Name it Diet Delusion – I’ll start exercising after I lose a few pounds.
Claim It- Exercise is about health and strength. It is not about weight. No matter what size I am exercise needs to be a part of my daily life. Besides if Patrick Swayze and I are really going to get that lift right I’ve got to work on my core.

So everyone – Name Your Diet Delusion and Claim the Solution. There are people out there right? Did I delusion that up too?

And don’t tell the guards but I’ve now lost 13 pounds since January. Keep it to yourself or they’ll make me put it back on. The guards like to boss She-Ra around. Friggin’ Guards.

What, you haven’t heard of it? You’re guaranteed to lose weight – a lot of it even, and very quickly. It’s officially called “Master Cleanse” but I like Gunnar Peterson’s (personal trainer to the stars, but not for long if he keeps blabbing to the media like this – not that I’m complaining) title much better.

For those of you uninitiated, you make a scary concoction out of maple syrup, cayenne pepper and lemons. You drink it. And that’s it. You eat no food. See? Easy-peasy! I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do this. Oh…wait, food is necessary for life. Yup, you’d have to be an idiot.

Diet Like A Rockstar
If you are not content with partying like a rockstar, or for those of us who live in the burbs, wearing ironic t-shirts like a rockstar, now you can diet like a rockstar! Or a movie star. Or just a really hot hanger-oner. Suh-weet!

The Daily Mail has a feature on “diet secrets of the stars” that for once doesn’t involve a lot of lying about poodle-walking & pilates. All in all, I can believe that this truly is the key to all those amazing physiques coupled with sallow skin and junkie stares.

How To Become Anorexic and/or An Addict
If you follow all these “star diet” rules, then you will definitely become both. Dream big, I always say.

1. Take Drugs. Oh sure, cocaine and heroin are awesome for weight loss (and brain loss but whatevs – who needs that nonsense?) but all the cool kids are going prescription these days. Adderall (ADD medication), Clenbuterol (asthma inhaler – for HORSES), and of course prescription diet pills and steroids. Can’t find a doctor to prescribe it for you? No problem, that’s what the Internet’s for.

2. Go on Food Jags. One unnamed actress ate only 3 hardboiled eggs a day while shooting Cold Mountain (which narrows – hee! – it down to Renee-I’m-naturally-this-bony-and-puffy-cheeked Zellweger or Nicole-I’m-naturally-this-expressionless Kidman. My money’s on Renee.)

3. Take/Drink Laxatives. Because poop weighs, like, soooo much. And having a working anal sphincter is overrated anyhow.

4. Try a Legal Addictive Substance. Don’t have enough chemicals in your body? Go the old fashioned route and swill caffeine (in any of it’s varieties) and smoke cigs to keep those pesky food cravings at bay.

5. Gymorexia. It’s the new bulimia – and so much easier on your teeth! Your knees, not so much. But who needs ‘em?

6. Starve. If all else fails, just don’t eat. Pretty simple, really. Can’t get fat if you don’t eat. Can’t live either. But better to be dead than fat, right? (In case you think I’m kidding head over to the Weighting Game and read all the comments on Leslie’s post about fat people on public transportation.

You Can Never Be Too Rich or Too Thin
Since most of us will never be rich, we’d better focus all our efforts on thin if we want to be anything in this society. Marcia Cross, of Desperate Housewives (a.k.a. the show that made all housewives desperate to look like Eva Longoria), summed it up thusly: “Not eating is a constant struggle. It’s like they pay me not to eat. It’s a living hell.”

I hear hell is nice this time of year.