To Diet or not to Diet

Why should I spend money on a diet system? I have a love hate relationship with all diets, pills, fads, etc.  I have tried a Cookie Diet (yes they do exist), Nutrisystem, Slim-fast, It works body wraps, Weight Watchers, and I am sure there are more that I can't remember. What's the point of a restricted diet? I would lose weight quickly and "look good" for a month. Yay, a month. Then right when I get off a strict diet I gain back the weight just as quickly as I lost it.

With each diet I have been on I felt hungry and cranky which is not a good combination when you are a mother. Is it really that important to lose so quickly and look like those models on a magazine or on the TV? Does it matter that much to my kids that I look like a model? or Do they just want to be cared for and loved no matter the way I look?

Instead of having to lose all of my excess weight within a month and spend hundreds of dollars on another FAD I am going to try to do it on my own and I want to include my family in on this "new" diet. I call it eating healthy by making healthy choices.

Instead of thinking about all of the pessimistic thoughts on taking away all of my favorite chocolate bars, I am going to focus on adding more healthy foods to me and my families diet. Greater things come from small and simple things so for right now I just want to focus on curbing hunger. This is what I have found from researching

Curbing Appetite

-Soups, stews, cooked whole grains, and beans

-Fruits and vegetables

-Lean meats, fish, poultry, eggs

-Whole grains, like popcorn

Strategies for working those hunger-fighting foods in your diet:

-Add shredded or chopped vegetables to pasta and egg dishes, main-dish salads, and other mixed dishes, and use them to top pizzas.

-Eat whole fruits instead of fruit juices or dried fruits.

-Use a blender to whip air into fruit drinks, smoothies, or sauces.

-Choose whole-grain puffed cereals, popcorn, breads, cereals, and pasta.

-Enjoy vegetable salads or broth-based soups before meals.

-Top entree salads with lean meats, poultry, eggs, tofu, beans, nuts, or fish.

-Add fruit to salads or enjoy as dessert.

-Add beans to stews, soups, egg dishes, and casseroles.

-Have lean protein or low-fat dairy at all meals and snacks.