This Is Half Week

We’re half way through the first month of the year. So this week we’re going to revisit the “Half Week” diet and go “halfsies”. Eat half as much at half of your meals. Don’t make up the difference at those FULL meals though!  If you can reduce portions at those meals as well, you’ll be that far ahead. It should be a lot easier than denying yourself anything. Remember that you should eat several small meals a day. Not full size, high calorie, large order of fries meals. These should have protein and veggies. You can have the carbs you crave if you have a small amount. Just cut back on your portions, drink plenty of water and eat slower. By the end of the week, those smaller portions will start to look normal. Keep it up and your waistline will too.

TODAY: EAT HALF, EXERCISE THE FULL AMOUNT.

Walk Out of Work To Reduce Cravings

Work stress can bring on cravings. But in our plan to reduce caloric intake a brisk walk may be a great help. A British study found that chocolate cravings were reduced by taking a brisk 15 minute walk. So take a break an hit the bricks when you need to. A break like that will also let you clear your head for more free thinking. I find that the mindless exercise like walking or bike riding often is when I get my best solutions to problems I’ve been working on. It’s also when creative ideas perk.

Now the one thing to remember is that word BRISK. Strolling won’t do. Get moving at a pace that lets you feel like you are actually exercising, not window shopping at the mall.

TODAY: START A ROUTINE OF WALKING AT LUNCHTIME

Wii Says Lose Just Three Pounds

Be realistic and think beyond your diet today. Did you get a Wii Fit for Christmas? Maybe it was a Christmas gift from the past, or the kids have left it alone to play other more active (violent) games. Last evening my Wii told me that setting a goal to lose three pounds over two weeks would be longer lasting than a fast loss. I know the shapely avatar on my TV isn’t an expert, but some quick research backed this up.

Diets fail over time because they feel like deprivation. It takes an unrealistic level of motivation to keep cutting calories. This does not last.

To avoid Rebound Weight Gain, medical experts recommend:

— Cut calories while maintaining protein intake

— Exercise five times a week during the diet and beyond to maintain muscle mass

— Take multivitamins and drink plenty of water

— Plan your transition back to real foods

Besides, you already know you can’t “diet” forever. In the long term it’s not about goals. We’ve got to change the way we eat and maintain a more active lifestyle if we want to have any lifestyle at all.

TODAY: WALK A LITTLE FARTHER THAN YESTERDAY.

Portion Control Means Weight Control

Let’s consider a snack first. A mere half ounce of, my favorite, potato chips is 80 calories. That’s about what you get in one of those little bags. But if you’re getting all the calories you need each day. (We did the calculator yesterday.) 80 calories a day adds up to eight extra pounds in a year.

French fries are another vice. If you regularly eat a large order of McDonald’s fries you consume 500 calories. If you reduce 250 calories, you cut 25 pounds in a year.

Do you like pasta? Many portions of spaghetti are about two cups. That’s 420 calories. You save 210 calories by having only one cup. Saving 210 calories a day would be 21 pounds in a year! I think you’re getting it now.

TODAY: CALCULATE HOW MUCH WEIGHT YOU CAN KEEP OFF IN A YEAR BY CONSUMING HALF PORTIONS OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS.

Fork Your Salad Dressing

Salads can hide calories with the mask of eating healthy. All that green crunch has to be good for you right? Well, just 2-tablespoons of the salad dressing you drizzle on top can contain up to 140 calories if it’s creamy. A lot of times you don’t even realize how much you put on, especially when it’s at a salad bar. You really don’t need to drench every bit of salad with goo. Vegetables really do have flavor. The dressing is supposed to just add to the flavors, not mask them.

Here’s a tip to help you use a LOT less dressing, yet still enjoy the flavors you savor. Put a small amount of dressing in a cup on the side. Then dip the tip of the tines of your fork into the dressing before gathering a portion of the lettuce and veggies. The flavorful dressing will dance on your tongue before mingling with the cool stuff. It’s that easy. Use less dressing and cut calories with your fork.

TODAY: REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF DRESSING YOU USE ON SALADS.

Sauce Up Your Food

I love chicken wings. They’re great diet food as long as you fry them “naked” with no batter or crust. You can make a sauce that’s to your heat liking with just hot sauce, melted butter and a some cream. Or keep the calories down by sticking to hot sauce. Just dip the wings, don’t drench them. They’re easier to eat. Decadent, yet still reduced carb.

Discovering that hot sauces are low or no carb was a huge thing for me. It definitely is not all about the heat. There are an amazing variety of flavors from habanero to mustard. The Tabasco brands are a mainstay. But one of my current favorites is Wild Turkey hot sauce. Yes the bourbon is in it. I got it as a gift at Christmas and have to find more soon.

Keep a variety of hot sauces on hand and try it on anything and everything from eggs to veggies. It will spice up your diet in more ways than one.

TODAY: EXERCISE EXTRA TO MAKE UP FOR YESTERDAY!

Eggcellent!

It’s “The Incredible Edible Egg”. Low carb diets are a lot easier thanks to these protein packed babies. I start the day with two, sometimes with cheese, sometimes with bacon or sausage. My previous experience with the Atkins diet gave me so much egg cooking experience that I never need a spatula to turn them. Just a small saute pan with rounded sides, a dollop of butter and a flick of the wrist after they are a little solid. (You can tell when they are ready to flip because they will slide around the pan easily when you swirl it.) Don’t add any salt, we want to reduce the sodium. Besides you can add any low carb condiments later. God old yellow mustard adds a great flavor to fried eggs. But it doesn’t stop there.

Think of eggs as the base for many meals. If the kids are having pizza, you can too. Make a thin omelet and add the pizza toppings. It will satisfy the cravings and still be low carb. Same for tacos. Those two strong flavors will go a long way. Besides it makes eating eggs a lot more pleasing than that scene from Rocky where Sylvester Stallone drank the glass of them. I always wonder how many takes that took.

TODAY: DO SOME STRETCHING EXERCISES. TWIST YOUR TORSO SIDE TO SIDE, BEND OVER AND TOUCH YOUR TOES (okay… TRY) THEN STRETCH UP ON YOUR TOES AND REACH FOR THE CEILING. THEN REPEAT TEN TIMES