Membership In The Clean Plate Club Is Growing

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.

Cook More, Eat Less

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!

Spread Yourself Thin

Jelly can be a source of hidden calories. Sure, you think it’s just a little dollop of goodness. It’s made from fruit, so how bad can it be? Well… most jelly os almost pure sugar and a tablespoon is a whopping 50 calories. But I found a great jelly that is actually low cal and sweet and even has fiber! At just 10 calories per tablespoon Polaner Sugar Free has now also added 3 grams of fiber to that. So if you’re following Atkins you actually get back 3 grams of carbs. So that can offset some of the carbs from a slice of whole grain toast.

I also like to skip the toast and just use a spoonful as a condiment with sausage, or ham and eggs. The berry ones are great with meats and I even skip the meat entirely and fry a couple of eggs hard and top them with some orange marmalade. I know… it’s odd, but it has a flavor a little like a crepe. So add a jar of the Polaner Sugar Free jelly to your pantry and have a guilt free treat.

TODAY: DO SOME STRETCHING EXERCISES.

For God’s Sake, Eat A Piece Of Fruit

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

The Skip A Day Diet

A blonde is terribly overweight, so her doctor put her on a diet. “I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you’ll have lost at least 5 pounds.” When the blonde returned, she shocked the doctor by losing nearly 40 pounds. “Why, that’s amazing!” the doctor said, “Did you follow my instructions?” The blonde nodded… “I’ll tell you though, I thought I was going to drop dead that 3rd day.” “From hunger, you mean?”, asked the doctor.” No, from skipping.”

TODAY: SKIP (EATING) SOMETHING.

Thanks to Ebaumsworld for the joke.

Better Late Than Over

Okay, let’s say you’re being good all day. You watch how much you eat, keep the calories and carbs low, drink lots of water and even… wait for it… EXERCISE! But then it gets to be evening time and you get hungry and blow it. Well, maybe it has to do with when you eat dinner. Those early-bird specials are great but… they’re EARLY. If you stay up till the late news you have a third of your day to go. Even if you eat right after work, there is a lot of time till bed. That’s why you get hungry. So shift your dinner a bit later and you’ll be less tempted. Of course, don’t get too hungry before dinner. Have a hand-full of almonds or macadamias and a big glass of water.  It will take the edge off and keep you from wanting bigger portions later. So eat late but don’t over eat.

TODAY: EAT DINNER A LITTLE LATER.

Never Starve Yourself To Lose Weight

One of the ways to avoid being hungry at night is to eat more during the day. Of course you don’t over eat. You eat a balanced number of reasonable meals throughout the day. You have probably heard that eating a small amount of high protein food every three hours is a good way to curb cravings and keep your metabolism revved up. If you haven’t… you have now. If you have… do it.

TODAY: EAT LESS… MORE OFTEN.