N = No

“No” is one of the easiest words to learn, yet sometimes it can be the hardest word to say. Especially when it comes to food. I think at some point, we all wish we had the willpower to say no to an extra piece of cake or a candy bar. No matter how many times we say no in our head, we open our mouth and say yes.

“Yes, I would love another piece of cake.”

“Yes, another scoop of ice cream would be great.”

“Yes, I’ll take another helping of cheesy potatoes.”

All the while the inner voice in our head is screaming, “No!”

Here are a few things I like to do to make saying yes okay:

• Take a smaller helping the first time around. When I’m at a birthday party and they are cutting the cake I try to find the smallest piece. So later when I’m offered another piece, it is okay for me to say yes.
• Try to eat slow. When I’m eating a bowl of ice cream I take my time by taking small bites. I find when there is still something in my bowl no one forces more on me.
• Offer to take some for later. When they come around with those cheesy potatoes, before they can plop more on my plate, I do some fast talking. I say something like, “I would love more, but I had a huge lunch. Maybe, if you don’t want the leftovers, I can take some when I leave?” This way I’m not eating more and I’m not making my host feel bad.

For anyone who doesn’t have a problem saying no, I applaud you! For the rest of us, I hope my tips work for you as well as they do for me.