Emotional or comfort eating gets in the way of nutritional eating. Think about healthy foods you like that can replace your past unhealthy comfort foods. Look up healthy recipe swaps for your favorite dishes so you won't feel so restricted. Eating something fried might taste good today, but it might not feel so good the next morning. Your stomach will start to feel full if you slow down as you eat. Have a conversation with someone, or put the fork down between bites, to allow your stomach to tell your brain you are getting full. Be aware of what you plan to eat, and read the nutrition labels to be sure you are eating what you planned. Some packaging can be misleading for marketing purposes, so looking at the nutrition label is essential. Some foods are more pleasant than others, no doubt. Take control of experiencing new foods by removing the words “I can’t eat that”, and instead say “I don’t eat that”. By changing how you talk about food, it puts you in control of choosing foods you do not routinely eat. Instead of talking about the foods you can no longer have, talk about all of the foods your are adding in like fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, etc. Shifting your mindset from restriction to addition can make a big difference. Eat breakfast, plan ahead so you know what you will eat when you get hungry, avoid over-eating which can happen when watching TV, and eat the healthy food choices first. Other routines that can help include eating smaller meals, or snacks, throughout the day instead of 3 larger meals. The scale can help you to tweak your plan if you need to, and to stay on track with meeting your goal. What you can see in your cabinet, or can easily reach for, may not always be the best choice. Keep fruit on the counter and chopped veggies in the fridge. Easy access to healthy choices can help avoid unhealthy snacking. Get rid of the cookies and ice cream. Having the tempting foods within reach can pull you away from your plan. Smaller plates can help with portion control, decreasing the number of calories you consume at mealtime. Always eat off a plate as opposed to out of a box, bag or carton. You can pre-portion out servings of snack foods and leave them in your pantry to prevent over eating from the container. Grocery stores also have a lot of pre-portioned options. People that get enough sleep burn up to 5% more calories at rest than people that do not get a good night’s sleep. Plus, getting the sleep you need increases the amount of fat you lose compared to people that sleep less than 6 hours each night. Life happens. Weddings, covered dish dinners, birthday parties, game-day snacks, or a night out on the town can all involve eating, or drinking, calories that are not in your plan.  Think about what you could have done differently, and plan ahead so you will be ready for those challenging events next time.  Avoid the "all or nothing" mentality. Just because you messed up once, doesn't mean you can spiral out of control and have anything else you want. It happened, move on and don't be so hard on yourself. Talking to your friends and family about your weight loss plan can help you stay focused on your goal. You may have a friend that will want to join you in losing weight. Support groups are also available that can provide encouragement, as well as personal tips on struggles they encounter. Sharing your goals can also prevent others from being bad influences when know you are serious about losing weight.

Summary: Break your old food habits. Pay attention to how foods make you feel physically. Slow down as you eat. Read the labels. Talk about food differently. Practice healthier eating every day, and all day. Weigh yourself once a week. Set up your pantry and kitchen to help you. Reduce temptation. Use smaller plate sizes. Get plenty of sleep. Get back on track after a setback. Ask for help.


Tasteful pins are a good non-permanent addition to your jacket or sweater. Adding new buttons to your jackets and shirts is a small but individual touch. Adding colorful ribbon to the edges of your clothing (or the top of your socks) is also a small but effective way to alter your uniform. Iron-on patches are great, but only if they are allowed. If you are not sure about permanently affixing something to your uniform, use safety pins and pin the patches on. This is probably the easiest way to change up a boring look. Adding things like hair clips, clip in extensions, jewelry, makeup, nail polish, and socks can change the whole look of an outfit. Make some out of bright duct tape, find beads, search through your house or art class for anything that's cool. This is where you can go crazy, if your school allows additions. A bright pink trench coat? Why not! Bright blue leggings? Go for it! If you don't have shoes that you are assigned, choose shoes that really show off who you are. Preppy folks can wear moccasins or Mary Jane shoes, punky/emo students look great in converse high tops or plaid slip-ons. Backpacks are another great way to show off your personal style.  Sew labels, logos or patches onto the bag to improve a standard school bag.

Summary: Add small touches to your uniform. Get creative with accessories. Add funky jewelry. Choose other clothing pieces that work well with your uniform. Wear knee-high socks or no socks at all. Carry a super cool bag or backpack.


One of the things that causes cut flowers to wilt so quickly is bacteria in the water. The most basic thing you can do to preserve cut flowers is to change the water once a day. Use cold water and add ice cubes before adding the flowers to the vase. You can also treat the water to inhibit bacterial growth. Two tablespoons of sugar, apple cider vinegar, or even a penny at the bottom of the vase can keep your flowers looking fresh for longer. A small amount of bleach in your vase water works well to control bacteria growth mentioned before and keep water clear. Different types of flowers have different types of stems, and different types of stems require different treatments in order to keep your flowers looking fresh. The most basic way to treat the stems is to trim the ends a small amount each day when you change the water and cut them at a 45° angle but you may also want to:  Split the bottom inch of the stem for woody stems like lilacs. This helps it absorb more water. Sear the stems of milky stemmed flowers like poinsettias. This milk harms other flowers in the bouquet. Daffodils also produce this milk but searing won't work for them, so avoid using them in mixed bouquets. Fill the stems of hallowed stem flowers, like dahlias. Fill the stem with water, plug the hole with your finger, and then submerge them. This will help them stay upright and fresh. If it's too hot or too cold in the spot you've placed your cut flowers, they will wilt much more quickly. Move them to a good, temperature neutral spot. Some flowers, however, do better at warmer temperatures. If you have tropical flowers, like Bird of Paradise, consider a warmer spot. Remove leaves, flowers, or branches which would fall below the water line. Having these in the water encourages bacteria growth. Once flowers start to get really wilted, pinch them off. This will help keep the plant from throwing a bunch of energy into maintaining them. Don't use household scissors to cut plants. These are intended for paper and can hurt the plant's ability to absorb water. Use tools that are intended for flowers and plants and make sure they're kept sharp. You can also add preservatives to the water, like Floral Life, and these will help provide your flowers with the nutrients that they miss out on after they're cut. This will significantly increase the life of your cut flowers.
Summary: Change the water regularly. Treat the water. Take care of the stems. Keep an eye on the temperature. Remove excess leaves. Cull flowers as necessary. Use appropriate tools. Use preservatives.