You are probably laughing right now but it is true, you can lose weight with cross stitch. I am sure you are wondering, how on earth you can lose weight with cross stitch when you are sitting on the sofa and the only parts in your bodies that move are your arms and fingers. Well there is more than exercise to consider.

First, in order to cross stitch you need to have clean hands and therefore you are less likely to pay a visit in the kitchen and dig into snacks. Also, food and drinks are normally not allowed around your stitching to avoid accidents on your projects which means temptation is out of reach. Any stitcher knows how difficult it is to remove stains such as chocolate and red wine from cross stitch fabrics, so only keep just a glass of water in reach. Even if it were accidentally tipped onto your work, it is not a disaster.

Cross stitch will not only keep your fingers busy but your mind as well. It is often boredom that sends you into the kitchen to snack. Being absorbed in your work is a great way to take your mind off the food temptation. Even if you start thinking about treating yourself, you don't want to leave your stitching in the middle of a row or lose your place. Eventually you will become so absorbed in your stitching that you will forget all about food. If you are working on a complicated and interested project and you are so absorbed by it, you might even miss dinner.

Stitching also raises our self esteem. Now you might wonder what self esteem has to do with losing weight?

It is a wonderful feeling to experience when you finish a complicated design, a sense of pride and achievement that noone can take that away from you. Psychologists believe that it is often despair that drives us to eat more. Of course despair is not the only reason why we pay visits to the fridge but is certainly a contributory factor.

So next time you feel like giving in to temptation, just pick up your needle and start stitching.