Stop, Collaborate, and Listen.

Vanilla Ice.  Tha's right. So gangsta. That man is a genius....Okay, he probably has no idea how many times his lyrics have been used.  I actually just found a blog that related his lyrics to the perfect marketing strategy.  Well, I'm applying it to food.  And really, I'm going to veer off a bit.  It just sounded like a good title.

So I don't know about anyone else, but from what I gather, there are a lot of people out there that are mindless/bored/emotioinal eaters.  I'm totally in the "bored" spectrum.  If I'm busy all the time, I don't even think about food because it's busy,busy,busy, work work work.  But if I'm sitting with nothing to do, that's when things get crazy. I have to go through the steps....

First, I distract myself - find something, anything to do.  If I'm at work, I write this blog (jokes!....sorta) I never get bored at work **wink wink**.  If I'm at home, I clean the house (more jokes!) paint my nails, or brush my teeth.

If that alone doesn't do the trick, I think it through.  Am I just tired? Am I stressed out?  Am I emotional (always), am I just bored?

If that doesn't work, I drink water.  Now, if you're tired, drinking water can help.  It can rejuvenate you and keep you from falling asleep, say, at your desk.  It can also slightly help stress levels.  Think of it as sort of a way of counting to 10.  I once read somewhere that to know how much water you really need in a day, you divide your weight in half, and that's how many ounces you should drink....so I did, and basically trained my body to need a lot of water.  Now, I feel like I drink more water than the average person, so after a while, I start to feel like I'm drowning myself.

So, let's say that also doesn't work....You listened to your body and you really are hungry.

Smart snacks are the key.  And here are a few ideas for any craving you're having:

sweet - low fat vanilla yogurt and a sliced banana or strawberries.  I personally like the Dannon Light & Fit yogurt. I also found a recipe (which I haven't tried so don't blame me if it's not tasty) that says to warm, in the microwave, 1/2 sliced banana, a square of chocolate, 1/4 c. oats, and drizzle of honey, mash it all together and enjoy.
salty - edamame and sea salt.  One of my personal favorite snacks.
savory - water packed tuna and dijon dressing
creamy - Laughing Cow cheese on veggies
crunchy - carrots, peppers, etc with hummus or guacamole.  The Roasted Red Pepper Hummus by Sabra is my fave.  I also have a friend who absolutely loved sliced cucumber with sprinkled pepper and Splenda.  Sounds weird, but it was actually pretty tasty.
sweet/salty - mix Smart Pop popcorn, pretzels, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips for a healthy trail mix!

And MOST IMPORTANTLY.....

Plan a splurge!! You have to give in to your cravings every once in a while.  It's unrealistic to think you're never going to eat Chinese food, pizza, alfredo, or CARBS ever again.  And if you plan out your splurge, you look foward to it and are less likely to sabotage and eat unhealthy the rest of the week/month/year (however long your willpower is).