You don’t need to deprive yourself, eat only boring foods, or take your treats with a side order of guilt.
Budget wisely. Don’t eat everything at feasts and parties. Be choosy and spend calories judiciously on the foods you love.
Take 10 before taking seconds. It takes a few minutes for your stomach’s “I’m getting full” signal to get to your brain. After finishing your first helping, take a 10-minute break. Make conversation. Drink some water. Then recheck your appetite. You might realize you are full or want only a small portion of seconds.
Distance helps the heart stay healthy. At a party, don’t stand next to the food table. That makes it harder to mindlessly reach for food as you talk. If you know you are prone to recreational eating, pop a mint or a stick of gum so you won’t keep reaching for the chips.
Don’t go out with an empty tank. Before setting out for a party, eat something so you don’t arrive famished. Excellent pre-party snacks combine complex carbohydrates with protein and unsaturated fat, like apple slices with peanut butter or a slice of turkey and cheese on whole-wheat pita bread.
Drink to your health. A glass of eggnog can set you back 500 calories; wine, beer, and mixed drinks range from 150 to 225 calories. If you drink alcohol, have a glass of water or juice-flavored seltzer in between drinks. Remember your water intake, goal; 80 ounces per day. Use fun flavored seltzer waters w/your favorite wine.
Avoid alcohol on an empty stomach. Alcohol increases your appetite and diminishes your ability to control what you eat.
Make room for non-starchy vegetables; green beans, spinach, kale, cauliflower, peppers, onions, brussel sprouts, broccoli, celery, cabbage, etc.
Protein focus; lean protein focus; baked fish, skinless poultry, leaner pork, ground turkey, shrimp, eggs;egg whites