Steps 1471
Yep, at least in
America, this is the first of the holiday season pig outs.
It's also the first big test of your Diet 1, and how good you can discipline the appetite, habits, and
genetic influences that got you here!
First off, start today with your normal
breakfast, don't try to compensate so you can load up at dinner.
You're simply planning not to diet. You just want to keep it on an
even keel, and keep it light if possible.
Get that number 1 drawn on your
thumbnail. You may even want to do both thumbnails just to make it
obvious.
Drink Water
Lots of water.
Start drinking waters as soon as you
get up, and keep it going right through the day, any time you feel
hungry.
Even if you're
going somewhere else for Thanksgiving dinner, do the same thing. Try
to down an eight ounce glass of water just before you sit down to the
dinner table. This will help digestion, and jump start that full
feeling that will slow down your intake of food.
Snacks
Try not to snack too much before dinner
or after. Whatever snack you do decide to grab, try to make it a
good choice. A piece of celery instead of a big lump of cheese.
If you are home. Think about it for a
moment. What you are mostly after is warm comfort foods. It's chilly
outside and you're smelling hot things being cooked. So you probably
won't even want to look at that cold plate of cauliflower, celery,
and so on.
Steam some string beans instead, and
keep them on a hot plate, or even some hot pieces of turkey or ham.
Just small warm snacks that are a lot less fattening than cheese
balls, crackers and chips.
When it comes
time for the big meal and they start serving all that food. Don't be
the first one to start shoveling things on your plate. Take a moment
and look around the table, watching other people serving themselves.
Look for the skinny one in the crowd, if there is one. The skimpiest
eater. Watch the portions they putting on their plate, and make a
mental note to challenge that. See if you can do portions as small,
or even smaller, just for the hell of it. And always keep that
number 1 thumbnail in view.
Try to keep it down to 1 scoop of this
or 1 slice of that. Don't just try to skip the butter on the dinner
rolls, try to just skip the dinner rolls completely. You're not
trying to starve yourself, just trying to sensibly cut back.
Now that you have it on your plate, try
not to start shoveling it in. Remember your 1 bite eating rules.
Take 1 small bite of something, set the fork down on the table and
chew as long as you can then swallow.
Also keep in mind your the social
atmosphere here, stay involved with the conversations around the
table and chat as much as possible. This will help take your mind
off the food and you'll actually eat less.
Anyone for seconds?
Nope, not me.
If anybody asks just push your stomach
out a bit and say you're full up.
And here's a neat trick that not only
saves you some calories, but adds some exercise and may pleasantly
surprise the folks around you.
Just quietly get up and casually start
clearing the table. Don't be pushy about it. Just look for empty
plates or glasses and start taking them to the kitchen. While you
are up ask other people if they need any of this or that. Offer to
refill drinks, etc.
As you work, you are not only making a
favorable impression on folks around the table, you'll also be
helping them by slowly removing all that leftover food people like to
nibble on while sitting there chatting.
At home, or at someones house, if your
are comfortable around their kitchen, you can start cleaning up.
Rinse off some dishes, start putting some leftovers in the fridge,
etc.
You'll knock cut some calories, and
impress everybody at the same time.
And you might add
a couple hundred much-needed steps to the pedometer you're supposed
to be wearing.
If the weather's nice. You might even
go for a short walk before the the desert.
And now for Dessert
Probably the most
dangerous part, for any dieter.
As they pile those pies, cakes and
puddings on the table, relax, take a good long look at that 1 on your
thumbnail and then wait.
Just like at
dinner, sit back and watch other people start loading their plates.
Don't be the first 1, to rush in and start scooping slices of pie.
Give it a few moments and then pick out the pie you'd really like to
eat and take a slice about half the size you normally take. Remember
that rule. 1 slice, 1 piece, 1 serving, etc.
And the 1 rule
when it comes to eating that slice. Take a small bite, put your fork
down, and really enjoy eating that piece of pie. Like everything
else you put your mouth, learn to really enjoy the flavor of it.
Leftovers
If you're at
someone's house for Thanksgiving. Just try to not bring any
leftovers home. If you actually can't resist, think of it as free
food. Try to take home the best food for your system, like some of
the veggies are meat. Let the rest of the folks load up on pies and
desserts. You don't need those in your house or your body.
If you're polite
and courteous, it really shouldn't be a problem. There is usually a
scavenger who wants to take every left over to fill their fridge.
Likewise, if it's
your house. Take all those really fattening leftovers like the
desserts, wrapped them up and start handing them to folks on the way
out the door.
BTW, If you think you are the only screw up on Thanksgiving, take another look at my step count for today. 1471
No comments:
Post a Comment