If you're not snoozing, you're not losing as much as you could be! A regulated sleep cycle will help you have a more regulated eating cycle. Good, restful sleep is essential to the weight loss process. To read more about healthy sleep and weight loss, click here. 

 Be mindful and eat slowly. Eat in peace and quiet, without any TV or screen to distract you. Be present while you eat.

Savor every bite and allow your mind the time to recognize what it is tasting. As your mind sifts through it's archives it will say "Yes, I remember cinnamon." or  "Wonderful, I love the garlic." These flavor memories add to your level of satisfaction, they help your brain to decide that the meal was enjoyable and the flavors were complete and enough. Flavor, color, texture and smell all add to your eating experience. The better the experience the more satisfied you will feel after each meal.

 If you bite it, write it! We are always looking for that magic bullet, and keeping a food diary is about as close as one can possibly get. 

A six-month study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, showed that dieters who kept food diaries, attended weekly meetings, and ate healthy, lost TWICE as much weight as those who only journaled one day per week. It's not the actual journal that holds the magic, it's the process. By recording what you eat you gain awareness, hold yourself more accountable, and reduce mindless and non-hunger eating. Go grab a notepad and write it down!

Hollis, J.F. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, August 2008; vol 35 (2): pp 118-126.