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General Weight Loss Tips

Mini Food

Hors d’oeuvres, appetizers, finger foods…whatever you call it, I love them. For some reason, I think the variety, I love food served in bite-size portions. Last week I went to an event for a local women’s magazine and was just so smitten with the variety of single-serving food that I had to take pictures and share with you guys.

This plate is small, about 6 inches in diameter and check out those shot glasses! Here’s what was on my plate: blueberry salad which had some sort of vinaigrette mixed in. A slight basil flavor and tangy with olive oil. In the other shot glass you will find a bit of lettuce at the bottom, then a layer of egg salad topped with a few thin slices of smoked salmon and a sping of dill. A little cucumber and cream cheese tea sandwich wedge. It was light and crisp. A banana bread sandwich, right beside the blueberry salad. I loved this idea. Two thin slices of banana bread with a  layer of cream cheese in between. A couple of vegetable chips. And then a flaky almond galette. I tasted almond paste, which is one of my most favorite things in the world.

I made effort at this event to only eat what I truly wanted and to share dessert with my friend. But, what I really love is that it was a small sampling of really good food. It wasn’t a buffet gorge sort of thing, just nice little treats that were well executed and delicious. I want to apply this mentality more to my everyday life. Having a taste and moving on. It’s difficult for me because when something is really delicious, I want a lot of it, and then it isn’t special anymore. This food felt special to me like an indulgent treat and not in an unreasonable amount. Eating this plate of food in its white flour, sugar and cream cheese glory would not make anyone overweight. This plate is not the problem. It’s only when you multiply this plate, add guilt, and secrecy that it becomes a problem. And I want to learn this lesson over and over if I have to. Special food should remain special.

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General Weight Loss Tips

Feeling Normal

I had my first taste of what a normal day of eating could be like for me in the future. Yesterday was one of those days that had “balance” written all over it. And the elation I feel over something so simple, is hard to explain.

Balance over making the right choices, not over indulging, eating what I wanted, stopping when I was full, passing on dessert and being okay about it all. It feels normal to me. Just like breathing or sleeping, I want the ability to not feel guilty, moving on and not being consumed. None of that “tomorrow I will be better” stuff.

Here’s what I mean…

Yesterday morning I woke up and had two eggs fried in a little olive oil. Followed with my usual glasses of ice water. I was full and satisfied until a little after noon. It was exactly what I wanted. Just eggs.

When I came home I fought a small urge to eat out, but knew I had food at home to eat. I threw together a delicious salad filled with lettuce, feta, a whole avocado, chicken, salsa and onions. It was amazing, healthy, and cheap. I was also full.

When I got home around 4pm.  I was faintly hungry so I ate a few unsalted peanuts  to tide me over.

Knowing that I had friends coming over at 6:30 I threw together a quick goat cheese dip served with Mary’s Gone wheat free crackers. I ate a couple for quality control and out of hunger.

My friends arrived with a delicious array of food. I had a small slice of spanakopita made with kale, a lemon/poppy savory cheese muffin, a couple of wheat free crackers with goat cheese and habanero jelly. It was all delicious. I was hungry. I didn’t have dessert. I didn’t feel guilty for eating when I was genuinely hungry. And I didn’t mindlessly eat at the table or once everyone was gone. I didn’t even want to.

This on a day when I was slightly sleep deprived. Woke up at 5am to work. Then worked straight all day. But, I could handle my stress. The day didn’t gobble me up like I think they sometimes do. I didn’t feel a need to turn to food because I had a long day. And it’s weird to say that.

I calculated my calories for the day and was at around 1,400. Not bad. I also didn’t have the feeling of “well, I screwed up. Let’s eat!” that I normally default to. There was a brief concern that the dessert would be left with me, and I had a back up plan. I honestly didn’t want to eat it, I didn’t want to grogginess that comes with it.

I know all of this inner thought seems a little much for someone who doesn’t know what I’m talking about. And while I won’t be eating flour and sugar today because I did yesterday. It was nice to  have my first taste of what it will be like to have days like that. To feel the balance. Normal. Not out of control. But I don’t totally trust it yet. Knowing when to stop.

I couldn’t help but think  that this is how people do it. This is how they stay thin, lose weight, maintain…you get my point. It was a matter of playing my cards in a different way. It wasn’t all or nothing. It was a little of this and none of that and moving on.

And the weight is steadily coming off. I’m now down 9 pounds and it’s motivating me. Feeling good is motivating me even more. Knowing what the alternative is, is no longer appealing. The minutes of satisfaction from eating sweets and over eating does not make up for the hours of misery it causes. The bloat, the foggy head, the sickness. Not to mention all the stress that being obese causes in my life.

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Weight Loss Exercise

10 Portion Control Tips for Fast Weight Loss

Portions are some of the hardest things to control. It is fairly simple to think, no cookies but when it comes to 2 cookies, what is 1 more cookie? Looking to use leftovers but do not want to eat them all? Here are some tips to control your portions and help you lose weight.

Portion Control Tips

1. Break down all leftovers into single serving meals and store them that way. This way when you pick them out of the refrigerator you are not tempted to eat more than one serving.

2. Salad, just the lettuce and vegetables, are very low in calories and very high in proteins and fibers. This will fill you up and limit the amount of other food you eat. Feel free to eat as much as you want, but use as little topping as possible.

3. Break up the snacks into individual sized bags and keep them out of reach. You are less likely to get up and eat multiple bags of chips than you are to clean out a single large bag that is right next to you.

4. Eat small snacks and meals throughout the day. To do this, break the food up into portions while making it and then eat one portion every few hours, as opposed to eating one large meal and being hungry later.

5. Do not place the food in front of you while you are eating. Instead, serve the food in a different room than you are eating. Eat in the living room but dish out the food in the kitchen. Out of sight, out of mind.

6. Use a vegetable as a main course and meat as a side dish. This will limit how much meat you eat and increase your intake in healthy vegetables. This is good for decreasing fat and calorie intakes.

7. When eating out, designate half of the food as take home before you even start to eat. This way it is off your plate and away from your fork. This will also limit the size of dinner, making it a great way to limit calories.

8. If possible, order off the senior or the kids menu. These foods are smaller in size and they are often cheaper. If that is not possible, consider ordering a half or lunch sized meal.

9. Indulge in a small amount of forbidden foods every now and again. This does not mean eat a whole box of girl scout cookies (my diet un-doer) but rather have just the serving size and hide the box after that.

10. Drink plenty of water with your meal or snack. Often times the water is what your body is really craving, but since thirst is ignored and hunger is satisfied, the body says it is hungry instead of thirsty. In addition, the water will make you feel more full.

Enjoy these little hints to help you maintain a healthy portion controlled diet. Remember, even if you do not follow a diet, simply by eating less you can lose weight. These hints can help you do just that.