Illustration by Laura Coyle from The Dish on Cheating, Chapter 6 of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!!
Five Fattest Ways to Eat: Maybe it's not what you're eating, but HOW you're eating!!
1. Mindless Munching: You can lose track of how many you gobbled when you eat directly out of a bag of chips or package of cookies. Same goes with nuts. Sure, they’re full of heart healthy fats but enjoy a handful not a can full. When dining out at a Mexican place count out three or four tortilla chips and place on your side plate for better chip control. Use the same tactic with the restaurant bread basket. And if your favorite restaurant is famous for serving huge portions ask for half of your meal to be placed in a take out container before it comes to the table. You won’t be tempted to eat the whole thing and you’ll have lunch for tomorrow.
2. Over Accessorizing: Whether it’s a salad or a steak dinner often times it’s the add-ons that pile on the pounds not the foundation. Watch the little extras that can add up to big calories blown on garnishes that you could easily skip. Limit the fried croutons, bacon bits, blue cheese crumbles and creamy dressing on salads. Enjoy a small steak without the gravy boat filled with Béarnaise sauce or onion rings on the side.
3. Super-sizing Snacks: Snacking between meals can be a healthy habit if you're consuming them in snack sized portions. Enjoying a cup of creamy cold lemon gelato during an afternoon stroll is OK. Wolfing down a giant triple scoop bowl of ice cream with chocolate and chunks of candy on top is not. Same goes for chips, cookies and crackers as snacks. Choose the 100 calorie packs to keep track and savor them slowly.
4. Gonzo Guzzling: Don't forget the liquid portion of portion control. Maybe what's making you gain weight is not on your plate. It could be what’s in your car cup holder. Watch intake of sodas, presweetened teas, fruit flavored beverages and remember that alcoholic beverages pack a caloric wallop too.
5. Silly Splurging: Be smart about eating splurge foods you crave whether it’s chocolate brownies, French fries or lasagna. Realize you love these foods and allow yourself to enjoy them in sensible portions. Feel the textures and smell the aromas to help you feel more satisfied with a smaller portion. That’s what the women in the Rhode Island University study did that helped them to feel more satisfied with fewer calories.
1 comment:
I saw your article titled, "Mom's Right: Eat Slowly, Take Tips for Weight Loss" and I figured you must have a blog.
I agree eating more slowly can make a world of difference, but I do think you should ban high fat, sugary foods from your life. That is if you want to have lots of energy, be at your ideal, healthy weight, and look and feel great.
Your "Five Fattest Ways to Eat" offers some great suggestions. Again, I say skip the cookies, chips altogether, but putting a limit on good fats like walnuts is a great idea. I also say skip the bacon bits and fried croutons and use a balsamic-based salad dressing. A salad is an opportunity to get some much-needed vegetables, not down 500 calories.
Love the idea of skipping the gravy or Béarnaise sauce. The steak already has plenty of saturated fat it in.
I think you missed the boat on healthy snacking. Those 100 calorie snack packs are not food. They are just calories and non-food fillers. Light string cheese, a handful of walnuts, some whole wheat crackers with egg white salad, or an apple are much better choices.
I know it's baby steps for some people who eat a diet that is largely unhealthy and I do think one part of the answer is eat less, but it's also to eat real food in place of fake, processed food. Same goes for sodas. Wean yourself from this habit and drink water instead and watch the belly ring of fat disappear.
Alcohol? Now you hit my vice. I needed a good reminder to ease up on the white wine so thank you! I blame the kids.
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