"How do you stay so thin?" I overheard one woman ask another at the gym today.

The thin woman shrugged. "I dunno," she said. "I just … do."

Well, she might not have been able to put her winning strategy into words—or maybe she had a secret she was not willing to divulge.

It might have been easier if the other woman had asked, "What things don't you do so you can stay skinny?"

Here are the answers I imagine she'd give for what she doesn't do:

  1. Snack right out of the container/bag/box of chips/popcorn/cookies.
  2. Eat—and chew—quickly.
  3. Comfort herself with food when she's stressed.
  4. Skip breakfast.
  5. Swap water for diet sodas, juices and energy drinks.
  6. Go to a party hungry.
  7. Eat while she's driving/reading/watching TV—basically, whenever distracted.
  8. Use big plates instead of small ones.
  9. Don't stop eating before you're full.
  10. If something is healthy, eat more of it.

In another post, I'll explain the reasons behind why these strategies won't yield you a winning number on the scale.

Crave more?
Five Easy Ways to Take Care of Yourself 
How Moving Keeps You Young
Three Diet Myths & Other Confusions

This post originally appeared on mysocalledmidlife.net.

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