Don’t deprive yourself of your favorites just because you’re dieting. You can eat anything you want. Just do it every now and then rather than all the time. Keep the portions reasonable too. No huge bowls of ice cream with chocolate sauce every night! A scoop or so every now and then is okay. If you deny yourself all the time you’ll end up resenting your healthier lifestyle. Just continue to eat les and exercise more and it will all work out. So go ahead, have a treat this weekend, and even during the week sometimes. Make sure you enjoy it. You may find it better than you remember when you were having it all the time.
TODAY: DO JUST A LITTLE MORE WALKING THAN YESTERDAY.
Eating less doesn’t mean you will weigh less. Starving yourself isn’t healthy and can lead to craving and binging. (Followed by severe guilt.) A moderate, healthy diet is best. So stay satisfied by eating food that is low in calories but high in bulk anD fiber like veggies, whole grains and low fat soups. Add a reasonable amount of healthy fats like olive oil, nuts and protein with some cheese and you are on your way. By the way, that’s sometimes called a Mediterranean diet. In addition to being satisfying it’s very healthy.
TODAY: TAKE THAT WALK… EVEN IF IT’S A LAP AROUND THE MALL.
Remember the Tim Allen movie “The Santa Clause” when he was gaining all the weight and he went to a business meeting? His boss noticed how it appeared he was “letting himself go”. His advice was one hilarious line that has always stuck with me. “For God’s sake, eat a piece of fruit once in a while.” It’s true. When those carvings hit for something sweet, a piece of fruit instead of a donut, cookies or a candy bar is an excellent choice. Fruit can be a diet saver. It satisfies and levels out your blood sugars to knock out hunger for a longer period and also gives you valuable fiber.
So set out a fruit bowl for yourself instead of cookies and milk and stay on Santa’s “good” list for next Christmas.
TODAY: SHOP FOR SOME FRESH FRUIT
There are a lot of snack bars and other expensive options for diet snacks. Don’t overlook the simple things in your pantry. One of my favorite standbys is Fiber One cereal. Not any of the new offerings from them. Just the basic, original sticks. I discovered Fiber One the first time I ever tried the Atkins diet. It was before Atkins came out with their own food line and to stay on the diet you had to read labels on food religiously. It was a real learning experience. After having a craving for cereal I spent quite a bit of time in the cereal aisle one night and finally got to Fiber One. It is perhaps the perfect low carb, low calorie cereal. If you are really on the Atkins diet have it with real cream as a moist cereal. It’s decadent, and still on your diet! But for the healthy lifestyle diet (where we promote eating less and exercising more) use the dry cereal as a snack. It’s naturally sweet with a satisfying crunch. Toss in a few nuts and raisins every now and then for variety. Top it off with a big glass of water and you’re doing yourself and your colon good. To steal another cereal slogan… It’s Grrrreat!
TODAY: NO JOKE. HAVE SOME FIBER ONE TO BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE.
Over the weekend I was at the local warehouse club buying a huge bag of Purina dog chow for our Labrador Retriever Sally. I was in the checkout line when woman behind me asked if I had a dog. My first thought was “what did she think I had, an elephant?” Rather than ending it there by saying yes, I told her that no, I didn’t have a dog and “I was starting the Purina Diet again.” Then I said that I probably shouldn’t, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but it was a great diet because I’d lost 50 pounds before I woke up in the intensive care unit.
I went on to tell her it was a nearly perfect diet. The way it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The dog food is nutritionally complete, it works well and I was going to try it again. By now everyone in line is listening in.
She then asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me.
I told her no, “I was running around in the yard when I chased a tennis ball into the street and got hit by a car.”
She didn’t get it, but I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.
TODAY: LAUGH IT UP. IT’S GOOD FOR YOU.
Friday is here and the weather is really wicked everywhere. It’s going to be tough to resist eating too much. The key is going to be keeping the snacks satisfying yet low in calories. I mentioned the chicken broth earlier in the week. A hot cup of that is a mere 20 calories. You’ll find that beef broth gives you another option and a trip to the soup aisle will show you that there are several other options including some exotic choices including oriental and spicy. Just check the labels for total calories. A warm tasty sip will take the edge off your cravings.
TODAY: KEEP BUSY TO KEEP YOUR MIND OFF OF EATING.
A hot stick to the ribs breakfast doesn’t have to be loaded with fat, calories and sugar. Good old fashioned oatmeal is a great source of complex carbohydrates (the good kind) that will get your day of to a great start and curb potential cravings in the first part of your day. Plain instant oatmeal in a cup with some added raisins and even a few walnuts makes a great quick breakfast. Try some other dried fruits for variety. The oats also add some other healthy benefits to your diet. Don’t do it every day, but it’s a great treat on a cold morning.
TODAY: DON’T FORGET TO EXERCISE, EVEN IF IT’S JUST GOING UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS A FEW TIMES.
Daily Nag, Food Choices | Diet Nag | 
February 26, 2010 6:18 am | 
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