By now the Easter candy at the stores is marked down to about 75% off. I know the temptation is hard to resist and the savings are fantastic, but walk on by the display and congratulate yourself for your control. Besides, all the good stuff is gone now anyway. Of course you can do what I do. Buy up the marshmallow “peeps”. They’re best by about Christmas when they have had a chance to age nicely. They get a more chewy texture. If you wait till NEXT Easter they’ll even be crunchy. By then you will have lost more weight and deserve the treat.
TODAY: DON’T BUY BARGAIN EASTER CANDY
Remember that “deal a meal” diet plan? Well I’m going to make it even more simple. You don’t need a deck of cards, you just need to remember how big a deck of cards is. For the most part you can use that as a gauge for how large a portion you serve yourself. You don’t have to deny yourself the food you like, just eat a reasonable amount. Keep the portions of protein and starches the size of a deck of cards and savor what you eat. Of course salads and veggies can be larger. Half the plate of salad paired with your protein will give you a full house … er… stomach and keep your weight in check without a raise.
Of course after you eat make sure you shuffle… out the door for a walk. (I know, I’m a joker.)
TODAY: CUT YOUR HIGH CALORIE PORTIONS DOWN TO A DECK OF CARDS.
Okay… don’t eat the entire time. Just make sure that you stretch your meals out to at least 20 minutes. If you’re still hungry after finishing your meal, take a 20 minutes break. Sip a cup of coffee, relax, take your mind off eating. Then see if you are still hungry. You’ll probably find that you don’t need more calories. It takes that long for the “full” signal to get to your brain. The main thing is that you see the “stop” signal go on.
TODAY: SLOW YOUR MEALS DOWN.
Unfortunately it’s the waistline that’s growing. We were introduced to it when we were kids. The club is so prevalent in American society that it has resulted in 67% of us eating everything on our plate, no matter how much is on it! That figure came from the American Institute fo Cancer Research. Now combine that with the way portions have grown in the US and you begin to understand why we have gained weight. Burgers are bigger, drinks are bigger than we can gulp, value meals are valued for quantity and “all you can eat” is much more than we should.
The habit that can cut the most calories faster and let you literally lose weight by doing nothing is to simply eat single servings. Cut back to just single servings. Eat favorite foods, just eat less of them instead of the huge amount of calories you decided was “normal”.
Go ahead and maintain your life membership in The Clean Plate Club… just use a smaller plate.
TODAY: EAT ONLY SINGLE SERVINGS. DON’T FORGET TO WALK.
Spring cleaning should not be limited to the closets. Hit the pantry and get rid of the high calorie winter snacks that you’ve been storing like a squirrel. You can’t eat ‘em if you don’t have ‘em. Grab a few bags, go to the park and… feed the squirrels.
TODAY: GET RID OF THOSE BAGS OF SNACKS.
A study by the US Department of Agriculture found that people who spend more time planning, shopping for and preparing food are less likely to be over or under weight. They think it has something to do with being around the food so much. Of course those little tastes may also help you eat less too. Though I’ve seen my share of fat cooks. So don’t overdo the samples, unless you also reduce your portions when the meal is done.
TODAY: GET OUT AND WALK. NO FOOLING!
“Losing weight without speed. Eating sunflower seed.” Lyrics from one of my favorite Jimmy Buffet songs, Cheeseburger in Paradise. Based on his brief (“Made it nearly seventy days”) trial of being a vegetarian. It’s seems true. I haven’t noticed many overweight vegetarians. So this may sound odd but you can add food to your diet, not take it away, if it’s vegetables and fruit. The recommended 5-9 servings of each day may be worth a try. With that you are also getting lots of fiber and feeling more satisfied. Fruits and vegetables displace fat in the diet and re pretty good for you. More than 200 studies have documented the disease-preventing qualities of phytochemicals found in produce.
Of course the time will come when you’re ready to go back to the paradise of having a nice fat cheeseburger. Just skip the bun.
TODAY: DO STOMACH CRUNCHES (JUST SUCK IN YOUR GUT AND HOLD IT) AT REGULAR INTERVALS WHEN YOU’RE SITTING.
Daily Nag, Tips & Tricks | Diet Nag | 
April 26, 2011 6:46 am | 
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