Think before you eat: 5 questions to ask yourself BEFORE eating anything

My Mom always told me to "think before I speak." And I think that simple lesson applies to what we consume, too. Here are five questions you should ask yourself BEFORE eating to avoid guilt, weight gain and diet derailment:

1) Am I really hungry? If yes, then eat. If no, then do another activity instead. Fold some laundry, take a shower, play with the kiddos. Whatever. Just avoid the kitchen if you aren't legitimately hungry.

The scale of 1-10 rule is perfect here. Ask yourself how hungry you are – 1 being not at all hungry (i.e., you just ate a full Blue Mesa Sunday brunch) and 10 being absolutely ravenous (like as in you might willingly eat brussel sprouts). If you are a 6-10 you should probably eat. If you are below that then distract yourself until you reach that point. 6-7 = a snack and 8-10 should require a meal.

Most nutritionists will tell you that you should let your hunger guide you when it comes to portion. Just because it is "snack time" doesn't mean you should eat. Eat when and if you are hungry.

2) If I eat this now, will I feel guilty in an hour? So often I convince myself I "need" a piece of chocolate, or a cookie or a handful of random snacks, when really it is a short-term buzz of delicious goodness followed by the "oh-dear-did-I-eat-that-crap" syndrome. Guilt is an icky feeling. Avoid it.

3) Is this going to fuel me until my next meal? In my opinion the best meal is a balance of fiber and protein. Fiber to keep you full and protein to fuel your body. I blog more about this here.

4) Would I be embarrassed if someone saw me eat this? Ok, this goes without saying, right? But think about it. I mean I would be embarrassed if someone saw me eating a sumo-wrestler-sized bowl of ice cream smothered in caramel, chocolate, cookies, whipped cream and a cherry on top. Imagine the horror if I had gooey treat dripping all over my face. I mean as good as that dessert sounds, I would hate for someone to see me devour that. I would be ok with someone seeing me treat myself to a small bowl of frozen yogurt with some crushed oreos. That is a respectable treat. Sumo-style no.

5) How does this rank against my overall daily food intake? I am not a proponent of cutting any food groups. I think you need all things within the food pyramid to lead a healthy lifestyle and maintain your weight. So, breads, meats, dairy, etc. are ok in my book. However, there is a delicate balance of foods each day.

For example, you shouldn't never go on a carb binge, even if they are all healthy carbs. A day of wheat toast, oatmeal, bran muffin, turkey sandwich, wheat pasta and crackers, while full of fiber, is not balanced. Too many carbs lead to bloating, ultimate weight gain (or no weight loss) and probably hunger. Think about an alternating approach to meals and snacks. If you had toast for breakfast, then have hummus and carrots for a snack. If you ate wheat pasta for lunch, balance that with a more protein-rich dinner of chicken, sauteed spinach and quinoa.I blog more about carbs here.

The big lesson: Think before you eat!

Stretch on my gorgeous friends!

Image courtesy of Getty Images.