Snacks

I try not to starve myself or think of myself as "on a diet." Deprivation leads to binging, then guilt, then starving, and back to binging... Better to stay off the wheel in the first place.

One way to avoid the deprivation/pig out cycle is to simply NOT BUY anything that you don't want to put into your body. (You can TRY to tell yourself that you're "only buying it for your husband and kids" - but yourself will probably be onto you.)

Another way to keep from feeling deprived is to snack. I try to always have some healthy choices in my fridge or cupboard that I can grab fast, to stave off hunger.

Snacks I like to have around include:

• raw veggies (chopped into bit-sized pieces)
• yummy but not sugary stuff to dip veggies in (plain yogurt with fresh dill, hummus, etc.)
• celery with unsweetened almond butter spread
• individually-wrapped slices of veggie cheese
• nuts
• canned pitted olives stuffed with whatever you like - e.g. raw garlic or macadamia nuts
• gluten-free crackers with salsa
• apples slices drizzled with lemon and a few slices of cheddar