According to Livescience.com , it is possible to lose and maintain weight by "habituation," also known as "virtual eating." What is "Virtual Eating? Before eating a favorite food or even a meal, you first imagine eating it. As you virtually eat, you "see" its color, "taste" its sweetness or saltiness, hear the sound of it as you slowly chew, and feel its texture. The premise: If you virtually pre-eat (in the sense of imagination eating, not eating a 0 food), you are likely to eat less of it because you have already enjoyed the sensual part of eating. Crazy? I don't know, but I plan to try it. We all know that there is a powerful mind-body connection, so it does make sense. I will let you know how it works out for me. I think this is a cute cartoon, and oh-so-realistic: Between Friends by Sandra Bell-Lundy, March 28, 2011 ____________________

When faced with an unknown menu, before leaving home, pre-eat a low-point, high protein food and 0 point foods. Today I was faced with an unknown menu (I wasn't in a position to ask about it), so I ate an egg-white omelet with cheese (2 points) and an apple (0 points). It worked beautifully! The menu turned out to be fairly safe (half wraps), but there were some food traps: potato chips and cookies. I was able to make an informed decision whether or not to nosh on the chips and cookies (I didn't), but had I been starving, I probably would have indulged, which would have resulted in unplanned eating of junk food. I ate one half wrap (most of the tortilla, all of the filling), but I was still a bit hungry, so I took another half wrap and just ate the meat (lean ham). So, mostly, there are strategies for avoiding the numerous foods traps that our culture sets for us. NOTE: I'm not saying that you should never eat goodies--never deprive yourself if you really want something yum

If you are planning to attend a major event involving loads of good food-- too much of a good thing--try "pre-eating." Before leaving for your event, eat a piece of fruit, a raw veggie, or a small cube of cheese. This may seem counter intuitive, but if you hold the wolf at bay, you are likely to make healthier choices and eat less food. Let's face it: when you are overly hungry, it's difficult to curb that impulse to chow down at the buffet table.

Are you out of points for the day? Don't panic. Think like Scarlett O'Hara: "Tomorrow is another day." A new set of points. If all else fails, eat "free" foods, such as vegetables and fruits, or use some of your extra points. Today, after my treadmill session, I was starving , so I ate a raw carrot. That way, I was able to enjoy my lunch without hoovering it down. It may seem counter-intuitive to pre-eat before a meal, but it works. Try it!