When you're dieting, the thing that can really wreck a healthy eating plan is that awful feeling that comes over you to just grab a huge bag of potato chips and polish it off while watching your favorite sit-com. We've all been there before!

There are things you can do to help yourself avoid the ugly urge to snack uncontrollably.

• First things first: Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plan to have healthy snacks throughout the day. Do not skip meals or planned snacks. Skipping nutritious foods will make you feel uncontrollably hungry!

• If you can, avoid purchasing any unhealthy snacks. There are so many "good-for-you" snacks on the market today, there is really no reason why you should have a cupboard full of ring-dings and cheesecurls. Start learning to read the back of the packages of foods - look at the fat content - if it says that the fat content is over 5% per serving - look for a different snack.

• Here's a list of healthy snacks that are low in fat content, but still high in satisfaction (and I'm not talking about carrots and celery!): - pretzels (watch the sodium content, though.) - graham crackers - any type of low fat crackers - (there are many different varieties - read the back of the packages to make sure that they are low in fat. Again, be wary of the salt content.) - low fat cookies - popcorn without butter (you can buy butter flavored salt.) - a cup of fruit with non-fat cool whip on top or a spoonful of honey. - fat free pudding - a stick of sugar-free chewing gum - a couple pieces of licorice - a cup of raw veggies with non-fat salad dressing for dip (ok, so you may have to eat a few carrots.)

• Treat yourself to scented candles. When you feel like you need a snack - light the candles and enjoy them! This actually does work - I've tried it.

• Instead of a snack, have a drink. Try a non-caffeinated herbal tea with a spoonful of honey. There are several drinks on the market with no caffeine and no sugar - buy a lot of that stuff - different kinds - and keep it on hand. Before you go for a snack - drink 8 oz. of your favorite drink, then decide if you really need a snack.

• Take up something you can do with your hands -- crochet, knitting, puzzles, cross-stitch, sewing, playing piano, paint your nails and toenails, weed the garden, do a little housework, look at a magazine for the fashions you will buy when you're thinner... In other words, get your mind off food and onto a healthy hobby.

• Don't watch TV. TV encourages snacking - you're sitting there, you feel like you should be doing something - so you go for the snack. Also, most of the commercials are about food. Stay away from TV, take up reading or another activity in number 6 above.

• When you're finished with a meal or a planned snack, brush and floss your teeth - this will help you stay away from food for about an hour.

• THINK - just take about one minute to think about what you are doing. Go look at yourself in the mirror during this minute. Ask yourself, "Do I really want to eat this and PAY the CONSEQUENCE?"

• Use your NutriCounter - Every time you eat something - input it into your NutriCounter - This will help you keep track of what you've REALLY eaten. Snacking and nibbling can be the death of a healthy diet.

The NutriCounter works:
"I have a NutriCounter, it has done wonders for me. In April, I had my gallbladder removed (I'm only 33). I am 6' 4" and was 304 lbs., in pretty good shape. After my operation, I started to watch what I ate, the doctor said it would be a good idea. Writing everything down was a real pain, although I thought it was working well.

Then I purchased the NutriCounter. Wow! I was eating about 1200 to 1600 more calories and about 30 to 60 more grams of fat. Writing down the info was not even close to what I really was taking in. The best news is I'm 251 lbs. now, I lost 53 lbs. so far. Just wanted to say thanks." Corey Susz, PA