The skinny on skinny

I recently read an article on habits of thin women.  Believe it or not, they DO have methods, it's not all genetics.  I always envisioned thin people eating whatever they want while I am sucking on cardboard.  Not the case.  While indulgence is a part of the repertoire, it is the exception, not the rule.  Here's the skinny, on being thin, with some commentary added in!

BE PREPARED Plan your meals, shop, and cook at home.  You are less likely to order pizza if you have a plan.  This is absolutely the truth.  No plan is a plan to fail.  Come mealtime, if I don't know what's coming, I start to look for open cans of frosting.

LEFT OVERS Instant lunch!

EAT SEASONAL Join a local CSA or support your local produce stand.  Pack your meals with produce, lean meats and fish.

OATS Oats are a staple.  Steel cut have more soluble fiber so it sticks around longer.  Some suggestions that I thought were interesting were to add pumpkin puree and flaxseed oil.

DON'T FORCE FEED This means wait until you are hungry to eat.  Don't punch a time card to eat.  This may not work for everyone, if you eat less with scheduled meals, then go for it.  But if you are eating 6 meals a day "just because", you may be taking in unnecessary calories.  Your body knows when it's out of gas!  Learn to know what true hunger feels like.

INDULGE Give yourself a break.  If you have an occasion coming up, don't stress.  Eat reasonably, but enjoy.  Sometimes I will have my husband eat the dessert first and tell me if it's worth the splurge!  If it is, I wait and he let's me have the last bite.

SET A LIMIT Two hors d'oeuvres, 2 drinks, done

AVOID BREAD Treat it like a difficult relative, keep a respectful distance.  If you have to cross paths, take a nibble and politely move on!

LEAVE CARBS LAST Get in the salad, protein and double veggies.  By the end of the meal you may have no room for the carb!

MORE VEGGIES PLEASE When eating out, ask for a double portion of vegetables instead of starch

SNACKS Keep healthy snacks around in case someone brings in donuts, that way if you run to food, it will be the kind you can feel good about and not feel left out

GO NUTS!  If you are craving carbs, eat a few almonds instead.  It will satisfy the urge to "crunch".  But don't go crazy, just a few.

100 CALORIE SNACKS Stay clear of this marketing ploy.  This is processed food and should not be treated as a healthy choice just because it's 100 calories.  Psychologically it seems reasonable, so it's may be hard to stop at one.  Then 100 turns into 300!

WATER And lots of it!  Try to get in at least 2 liters.  Limit or eliminate carbonated drinks.  Coconut water has become popular.  Add lemon, lime, oranges or cucumber to a pitcher of water and put in the fridge.  Instead of adding Crystal Light flavoring to bottles water, add Emergen-C.  You get flavor AND a boost of vitamins!  Mint is also a natural appetite suppressant.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Try saying no, the more you do it, the stronger your resistance becomes.

SET LIMITS If you have a food that is a snag for you, set limits.  Limit it to once on the weekends.  Eliminate food trends, like fried foods.  If saying "I'll never" to a certain food is a set up for failure, than set a limit to it, have ONE

VARIETY, THE SPICE OF LIFE?  Actually, variety creates palette excitement, causing you to want to over eat!  Limit the number of food options on the table.  Keep it simple. Create a ritual.  Oats in the am, salad for lunch, apple for snack etc.  OR...

ROTATE MEALS Keep it simple, but keep it from going stale.  Have a food routine, but then rotate it