Just yesterday, we were talking about how more Americans are reaching for cheaper, more fattening foods in this down economy. Now, a new survey from the online jobs site, CareerBuilder.com, shows one in 10 U.S. workers are snacking more during the day because they’re concerned about the recession, and nearly half complained that they were gaining weight in their jobs. One-fourth of the employees surveyed said they have gained more than 10 pounds and a sixth gained more than 20 pounds.

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We all have a weakness food, right? Of course it’s okay to give in from time to time… but what if those time to times are too much of the time? Last month I asked you what you do to keep from over-indulging in your weakness food. I had a lot of fun reading your answers and wanted to share them. Maybe they’ll give someone else a creative way to resist temptation… when necessary.

• CPA Mom – I grab a cup of hot tea first…usually it fills me up and helps me forget I want the candy!

• Angie (Losing It and Loving It) – I have found the best way to keep me from eating too many snacky items is to portion it out into a bowl and not eat straight from the container. Sometimes I still find myself taking the whole container so it’s been a challenge to break that habit over the years.

• Deb T. – I try not to buy chocolate anything. But I tend to sneak chocolate chips when I am craving chocolate so I have my husband hide them from me, sometimes I find them and sometimes I don’t but I am sure I burn some calories trying to find them right?

• Annette – I put things deep in the pantry ….for me it’s out of sight, out of mind most of the time.

• Tamara B. – This will sound crazy but when I indulge myself buying chocolate (Lindt White Chocolate Truffles) to keep myself from going hog wild I will eat one and put the rest in the freezer. They are not too good frozen and hard to bite into them so I don’t eat them but maybe one a week.

• Mimi - If I’m chewing a piece of gum, usually something cinnamony, I can stay away, or if I brush my teeth, that will help. If it’s in the house, I have to put it up high, out of sight and a lot of work to get to..at least I have to burn a few calories before I eat what it is I’m after!

• Lisa @ Serah’s - I keep from eating lots of sweets because luckily I don’t have a sweet tooth but I do have an addiction to Pepsi so the way I stop myself from drinking lots of it is to either not buy it or keep frozen bottles of water in the fridge b/c I love ice cold water. Another thing I found is that when I drink lemon water, it makes Pepsi taste nasty so if I drink a glass of that, I’m less likely to drink the Pepsi b/c it takes a while for my taste buds to adjust.

• niwa4me2 – I keep my “office chocolate” across the office and take it to team meetings so others will indulge. Plus – I only have it for holidays.

• Jean F – I give it to my kids, and ask them to hide it for me

• DeeAnn S - My downfall is potato chips, the kettle fried, really, really crispy ones. OK, I’m drooling now! Anyway, I found if I buy the small, single serving size bags, I will pour half the bag into a very small bowl (which makes it look like there’s more), then save the rest for another day. The smaller bags are more expensive per serving which helps me not buy as many, I’m a penny pincher from way back!

• Caroline – Let’s see, chips are my weakness — specifically, potato chips. To keep from eating them, I just don’t buy them. At all. Honestly, I can only buy them if we’re having a big party or something, when I know most of them will be eaten, not by me!

• cammy – I tend to buy chocolate in singles, but I do have a bag of Dove dark chocolate in the cupboard. So far I haven’t opened it, which is my control mechanism. If I over-indulge when I do open it, I can always take the left overs to the office.

• dmarie - Chocolate is my total downfall. I love it all! So, to trick myself to think I”m getting a special treat I like to set out a pretty plate and add how ever much of the chocolate I”m allowing myself for the day. When it’s gone, i put the dish away and I tell myself I’m done.

Anyone else want to add to the list?

Me – I hide chocolate from myself in my jewelry chest. No, I’m not kidding. And yes, it really works for me! I trick myself to some extent – I think it’s just because the chocolate is not sitting right in front of me. Hey, whatever it takes, right?

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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Those little tricks we play on ourselves really can help us eat less. Researchers presented hundreds of studies in Phoenix over the weekend at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society. A couple of interesting findings:

• One study shows people who have 100-calorie snack packages as treats eat a lot fewer calories — about 120 fewer a day — than those who are eat from a regular-size bag.
• Another report finds filling half your plate with vegetables really does cut calories.

More on these studies here.

One trick I like to play on myself is to eat from a smaller plate. Works wonders. How about you? Got any good tricks you use to help you eat less?

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[Disclosure: I received a complimentary sample of this product. I only post giveaways about products I honestly like, or those I think FatFighterTV members would enjoy.]

What are Smashies, you ask? You haven’t seen them in your favorite stores yet? That’s because they’re new – so new, they don’t hit the market until October. But you can try them before then for FREE. First, let me tell you a little about why you might want to do that.

Smashies is a new line of apple sauce for kids. They are organic, have no added sugar, and come in a package that makes it fun for kids to squeeze in their mouths. Perfect for an on-the-go snack.

I tried one and it tastes like… well, apple sauce. Maybe not quite as sweet as the regular stuff, but it was good… and smooth, too.

Up for grabs – a box of 10 Smashies. Here’s how to play: Just tell me in the comments below what snack Smashies would replace… and why you think your kids would want to try them. Easy, huh?

A few contest details: It ends at midnight EST this Friday, September 12… you have to have a U.S. mailing address to enter… and a random number generator will pick the winners.

Thanks, Smashies!

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The Facts:
Eating small, frequent meals is a good way to help you control weight and keep food cravings under control. Healthy snacking can help keep you energized all day. The key to healthy snacking is in the foods you choose, the size of your portions, how frequently you snack and the total amount of calories you consume.

Source: American Dietetic Association

Of course, everyone’s food needs and how often we eat are different. Me, I’m big on small snacks. My latest favorite is plain yogurt with a few slivered almonds and a little bit of honey. How about you?

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One thing I love almost as much as shopping is stopping by Auntie Anne’s for a pretzel when I’m at the mall and need a quick bite. They are so yummy… so of course I was a little bummed to find out they have way more calories than what I usually allow for a snack.

Okay, first the good news – Auntie Anne’s pretzels each have at least 2 grams of fiber; and the whole wheat one (my personal favorite!) has 7 grams. The pretzels don’t have any trans fats and if you order yours without butter it will average just 1 gram of fat. Another bonus – you can order them without salt if you’re watching your sodium intake.

But when it comes to calories – yikes! The Original with butter has 370 calories! That’s more like a meal’s worth. Cut the butter and you’re down to 340. The Whole Wheat option also has 370 calories with butter and 350 without.

Auntie Anne’s pretzel with the most calories is the Glazin’ Raisin with a whopping 510 calories. The one with the least is the Jalapeno with no butter – it has 270.

Next time I am really craving one, I will get my usual Whole Wheat pretzel with no butter and count it as my lunch or go easy on my calories the rest of the day. Or maybe even share one with a friend.

Here is the complete nutritional information on all of the pretzels at Auntie Anne’s.

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One thing I love almost as much as shopping is stopping by Auntie Anne’s for a pretzel when I’m at the mall and need a quick bite. They are so yummy… so of course I was a little bummed to find out they have way more calories than what I usually allow for a snack.

Okay, first the good news – Auntie Anne’s pretzels each have at least 2 grams of fiber; and the whole wheat one (my personal favorite!) has 7 grams. The pretzels don’t have any trans fats and if you order yours without butter it will average just 1 gram of fat. Another bonus – you can order them without salt if you’re watching your sodium intake.

But when it comes to calories – yikes! The Original with butter has 370 calories! That’s more like a meal’s worth. Cut the butter and you’re down to 340. The Whole Wheat option also has 370 calories with butter and 350 without.

Auntie Anne’s pretzel with the most calories is the Glazin’ Raisin with a whopping 510 calories. The one with the least is the Jalapeno with no butter – it has 270.

Next time I am really craving one, I will get my usual Whole Wheat pretzel with no butter and count it as my lunch or go easy on my calories the rest of the day. Or maybe even share one with a friend.

Here is the complete nutritional information on all of the pretzels at Auntie Anne’s.

Related posts

• Counting Calories: Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
• Big, Fat Lie: Snacking equals diet disaster
• Would seeing calorie counts for restaurant menu items change your choices?
• Top Ten Worst Foods of 2009
• PB2 giveaway