Some of the most memorable times in my life surrounds food I have eaten my family and friends. Food brings us so much comfort when we are gathered at a restaurant or sitting around the dinner table with friends savoring the taste of exotic meals or family recipes. I never really ask how many calories are in that delicious crab dip or fat grams in that caesar salad but I know exactly how much I can eat and what to politely pass on. I have a tool called the 90/10 rule that I started using when I began my own weight loss journey in August of 2014. I am determined and terrified at the same time not to gain the 68 pounds back that I had so much fun putting on while eating healthy food with my family and friends.
Let’s explore some secrets to get you on track that I learned. The first secret is portion size does matter and Boy-Oh-Boy does it matter! I eat on a salad plate at home so that I keep in mind that there in no need to fill the entire plate up. My second secret is that I eat my protein first and the size fits in my palm of my hand. My third secret is my vegetables come second and they can take up half of my salad plate. Keep in mind I do not consider any kind of potato or squash as my vegetable. My fourth secret is simple I take 3 table spoons of a starch like potatoes, rice, corn, bread, beans or pasta. I eat my food in that order so that I know by the time I get to my potatoes or pasta that I will be full. I can tell you that I do not eat 9 serving of fruits and vegetables a day or my weight will be 200 lbs and I do not follow the my plate rule because my body just does not need that much food. I limit my fruits to morning only and berries, bananas, apples and melons made my short list. I stick to 1/4 of a cup serving on these. The last shocker is that I do not drink water or any beverage during or 1 hour after my meals. I read an article that stated when you drink with your meals you actually push the food through your stomach into your digestive track faster and that allows you to eat a greater volume of food. This habit that we are taught is actually causing many people to gain weight due to the fact they are not feeling full because the upper portion of the stomach is emptying more quickly. Drinking with your meals also dilutes digestive enzymes and can effect on how efficiently your stomach digests your food. You can drink your beverages and water through out the day and you will not be dehydrated doing so. My other little trick that I practice while socializing with family and friends is choose skinny cocktails, put ice in a wine glass or choose white wine over red. Red wine is for me a true pleasure so I only drink it after I have eaten and stick to sipping two ounces at a time. I find after the second glass I am cautious about reaching for a third because family and friends may have the impression that I am over indulging and I am using peer pressure to keep my calories in check. My final trick is that I grab a hand full of protein bars and keep them in my purse so that I do not hit the snack machine, latte stand or drive through when I am to busy to sit down and eat. I struggle everyday with food and I don’t always make the best choices and the 90/10 rule allows to indulge on my cravings 10% of the time without the guilt and return to eating healthy the other 90% of the time.
Please try out what work for me and let me know how well my tools for weight loss have helped you.
Food With Friends 