Samantha, Health Educator

I always have dinner between 8-9p. Granted, I stay up until about 2:00a. My dietitian has said, and other dietitians have said, that it doesn't matter when  we eat in a day. What matters are the total number of calories. Generally we'll get hungry every 4 hours. So depending on what time we go to bed, not eating after a certain hour could be unrealistic.

My Mileage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 411
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 11,508
Amount Saved: $4,890.90
Life Gained:
Days: 46 Hrs: 4 Mins: 59 Seconds: 46

My Mileage:

My Quit Date: 1/25/2010
Smoke-Free Days: 141
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 1,410
Amount Saved: $564.00
Life Gained:
Days: 17 Hrs: 7 Mins: 39 Seconds: 57

Thanks for the tips, Samantha. I'd like to add that you have to be weary of salads for a whole host of other reasons. Salad dressings can nearly double the calories in salads. So I go without when I'm in a restaurant and measure them using a tablespoon when I'm at home. McDonald's chicken salads, both crispy and grilled, are the saltiest items on their menu. Of course, Caesar salads are loaded with cholesterol because of the eggs.

My Mileage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 410
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 11,480
Amount Saved: $4,879.00
Life Gained:
Days: 46 Hrs: 3 Mins: 54 Seconds: 44

Members,

Do you ever find yourself snacking when you are not even hungry? Ever wonder if there is a reason why we do this?

A few recent studies have actually been investigating the triggers that cause overeating and how we can bring these urges to a halt. Here are a few of the ‘effects’ that have been found:

1. The ‘I’ll have what she’s having effect’: It has been found that when people are with a dining partner who orders a lot of food, they will order a lot as well. If the dining partner is thin, this will further influence the amount of food ordered. Furthermore, as the number of dining partners increases, so does caloric intake.

Potential solutions: Instead of going out for dinner, make plans to go for drinks instead. Eat dinner at home and you will be less tempted to eat once you are at the restaurant. Also, once you are finished eating have the waiter clear any plates to avoid snacking on the food that is leftover.

2. The couch (sour cream-topped, butter-slathered) potato effect: It has also been found that when people saw snack commercials while watching TV they were inspired to eat. And not just the brand advertised either; people were tempted to eat any food at all.

Potential Solutions: Try separating eating from tv watching. If you have a really hard time separating the two, try snacking on veggies to avoid putting too many extra calories into your body. It is also recommended to try cutting down on TV viewing as much as possible as well. Spend your new found free time being active!  

3. The surprising salad effect:
Often people think that they are eating way less calories when they opt for a salad. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. It has been found that people who tend to always order a salad; do not give themselves the option of eating anything else. The monotony of always eating salad often drives them to fill up on bread or crackers or order some fries for the ‘table’.  This drives the calorie count way up.

Potential solutions:
If you opt for a salad, do exercise restraint when you are at a salad bar. Be weary of the calorie-dense toppings. Always get the dressing on the side of your salad. The dressing is the culprit of consuming extra unnecessary calories.

Eating habits can be difficult to regulate, try using a food diary to track how much you are eating and try out these solutions!  

How do you avoid eating when you are not hungry? How will you incorporate these solutions into your daily routine?

To read more about this topic check out this article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36281026/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/ Retrieved on June 15th, 2010.

Samantha, Bilingual Health Educator