dieting for dummies {1.30}

total weight loss to date: 6 pounds
i only lost one pound this week. a little disheartening, but i am reminding myself that my original goal was only a pound per week. as long as i'm losing, we are good!

portion control:
when i eat with my family, i continue to put emphasis on portion control & wise choices. for instance, when matt made burgers for supper, i skipped the bun and asked him to make me a small one (he makes huge burgers). mine weighed in at 5 ounces. for additional flavor, i opted to dip my meat in a cucumber dip i'd just discovered that is only 40 calories per 2 tablespoons. it was quite tasty. instead of french fries, i chose to eat some bell pepper slices. i honestly didn't feel cheated and my options were so much more healthy!

weakness substitute:
one of my food weaknesses is that i love dips & spreads. i have started perusing the aisles of the grocery store for healthier options. for instance, i've been steering away from the cream cheese and choosing pimento cheese instead. i also purchased the cucumber dip mentioned above and some hummus, which is a great addiiton to (healthy) crackers. i spent some time reading the boxes in the cracker aisle and there are some pretty significant differences (keep an eye on how many crackers is considered a "serving"). my favorites right now are from Kellogg's Special K. 24 crackers are 120 calories -- not bad at all!


i'm pretty sure that raw spinach makes everything a bit better.

beverages:
i have found it difficult to drink as much water daily as i should. i used to be really good at this, so i'm not sure why i'm struggling now. a few tips that i've implemented to help myself along.

• don't drink as much coffee. this developed on its own as i began eating breakfast first thing in the morning (i was no longer relying on several cups of coffee as my only morning "nutrition"). not having a cup of coffee on my desk all morning means that i will reach for water when i'm thirsty.
• water on the go. i make sure that i always have water with me in the car. since i'm in there at least 2 hours every weekday, it's important.
• straws. i find that i drink more water if my container has a straw. right now, i do not have one of these at work and i need to fix that.
• hot water. last week i mentioned that i was loving hot water with lemon (or lime). we have a water cooler at work that spits out hot water instantly. i love it. our office stays cold, in my opinion, so much of my daily water intake is through cups of hot water.
• no soda. i know this is a weakness for some, but i'm lucky that i really don't care much for coke and such. once in a blue moon i will treat myself to a dr. pepper but it's rare and it's not something i miss.
• carbonated water. i love carbonated water. i got some cans on sale a few weeks ago and use those as a "treat" when we're headed out in the car and stuff. the bubbles just make it seem special!