In my Joy of Weight Loss program, either self-guided or with me, I recommend that people eat every 2-3 hours.  Keeping yourself fed and nourished, in balance, is important so that you will never, ever find yourself ravenous and need to eat tons of food at any given time.  I have learned never to let myself be really starving, ever.

In my book, there are many suggestions for meals and snacks, and a guide to forming a structured food plan for yourself.

Today, I’d like to encourage you to go to the supermarket or grocery and buy some healthy snacks: cut up vegetables and fruits, dried fruit, hummus, low-fat or non-fat cheese or cottage cheese, plain yogurt (try the new Greek yogurt), un-sugared apple sauce, and some pure fruit spreads (unsweetened).  You don’t need to buy all of these at once, of course.

Then, have a snack between breakfast and lunch, and between lunch and dinner.  Have a serving size portion.  Take a look at www.mypyramid.gov to learn what a serving size is.  Generally, it’s one piece of fruit, a handful of cut-up vegetables, a few tablespoons of hummus, a ½ cup of non-fat cottage cheese.

Portion-out your snack and put it on a plate.  Make an elaborate ritual out of snacktime: only eat, don’t multitask or watch TV, have a moment of silence and prayer first, eat only one bite at a time, and eat slowly.

Remember: Check my “Dr. Norris Chumley SATISFIED LIFE” blog daily for weight loss and well being inspiration and tips, and add an RSS feed so you never miss anything!