What Can Be Learned from the Past?

Before beginning to figure out how to get from here to your target weight, you first need to get some idea where here is. Do you know how much food you take in daily? Do you know when you're likely to eat more, and when you're likely to eat less?

It is very common for people to underestimate how many calories they take in. Since this is an essential requirement for successful dieting, I would suggest that you first fine-tune your calorie estimating skills and only then engage in cutting calories and trying to lose weight. Estimating calories can be practiced by logging your calories for a week or two, making sure to actually measure cups and ounces of everything you eat. Make sure to log how you eat during the work week as well as the weekend, as we tend to eat differently during the weekend.

Also, I would suggest that you keep an emotional journal. When you're eating, write down how you feel. Are you tired? Cranky? Depressed? Bored? Happy? Write it down. The importance of keeping an emotional journal is that we often eat for other reasons besides actual hunger. This is called emotional eating and is very common. Sometimes being able to define the relationship between your emotions and your food helps you learn how to deal with the problem.

Now - before starting the diet - is the time to start thinking about your relationship with food and to really try to figure out the hows, whys, whens and wheres of your overeating patterns. In order to formulate a healthy working relationship with food, you need to be able to identify the mistakes that you might be making, and then address them one by one.

Too Hot to Cook!

It's summer time and the temperature is rising. Sometimes it's just too hot to cook. If you don't want to end up eating salads or cold cereal for supper, you need a repetoire of delicious recipes. With a little help from already prepared foods from the store and a few standbys you've cooked ahead, you'll be ready for the hottest day. Here are some that require no cooking!

A salad of fresh tomatoes and sliced onions, a plate of cold ham with melon wedges, crispy, crunchy vegetables with dips - the possibilities are endless. For the more adventurous, here are some treats:

• There's no heat needed to cook this delicious fish. The acidic ingredients cook it for you: Classic Ceviche Peruano by member yhawley


• Cold and refreshing with some zip, a cold soup is always nice:
  Watermelon Gazpacho by member clairelaine

Bring home that rotisserie chicken from the store! Dress it up or serve it plain, as is. Stock up on canned beans. Cook & freeze some brown rice or other whole grains and have them ready to thaw. You'll be ready for company in no time flat.

• Bean Salad by member gabco


• Wild Rice Salad by member sallysears


• Quinoa Salad by member nstevens2

Don't forget dessert! Keep it simple with fresh fruit - the perfect ending!