Eating tiny bites of food is a trick of weight maintenance

I ate off a tiny plate last night at a Japanese restaurant.  The chicken stir-fry came with seven different kinds of vegetables, chicken was white meat, no breading or skin, and each serving included about a tablespoon of rice, and a sprinkling of soy sauce.  Yum!

I have been practicing the tiny plate, tiny bites trick for years.  Take a tiny plate at a salad bar.  Use a tiny plate at a buffet, or party.  It looks like a lot of food! It makes me eat less, but feel satisfied.  

I also appreciate tiny cookies, mini-cupcakes and miniature chocolate bars. Not everyone wants a gigantic cookie or giant chocolate bar, or buy-one-get-one-free candy bar sale, or four Dolly Madison cakes for the price of three, etc. 

Sonja by the fountain at the Sheraton in Tucson, Arizona, this past year

I also take tiny bites of food during meals.  Smaller bites are easier to chew, and chewing is the only part of digestion we actually have control over.  It also looks nicer to those dining with you. 

It all goes back to enjoying food, savoring all bites (See: 5 Ways to Savor the Flavor of Food ) These kinds of tricks have helped me maintain a 50-pound weight loss for over 10 years.

Pizza must be savored!

Last weekend, my husband and I passed a woman walking down the sidewalk, holding a sandwich in her right hand.  She kept taking bites of it and I wanted to say “Stop! You’re not savoring!”

Next, next two ladies walked towards us holding paper plates with slices of pizza, eating as they walked.  Oh no!  The tragedy! Pizza is a treat, and must be eaten while sitting down, preferably in small bites, and chewed slowly.

Living Thin means ingesting only the amount of calories one needs in a day.  That amount is limited, so I like to enjoy each and every bite I put in my mouth.  Here are a few rules to help you enjoy food, and not overeat:

1)  Slow down.  Enjoy every bite.  Chew food slowly.  Food can only be tasted while it’s in the mouth. After it goes down into the stomach, the pleasure of eating is over.

2) Sit down and eat.  Make eating an event.  Use plates and silverware.  Cut food up into little bites; it feels like you get to eat more.

3)  No walking and eating.  Our bodies need to send oxygen to muscles for walking, not digesting.  It’s harder to chew and eat while walking — much harder to savor.   Wait until there’s more time to eat.

Sonja at Trail Dust Town in Tucson, after savoring lunch at the Dakota Cafe

5)  No mindless eating in front of the TV.  It’s easy to eat an entire bag of chips or cookies and wonder where they all went — which could be an entire day’s allotment of calories.  Either bring one portion to eat, then stop, or quit this habit altogether.

Read:  Why French Women Don’t Get Fat; 10 Tips; Find out what author Mireille Guiliano has to say about savoring food, and how French women eat whatever they want – and stay thin.

Eat a variety of colors!

Eat your way through a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day; not only will it help keep you thin for life, since they are lower in calories, but these foods are chock full of antioxidants to keep you healthy and youthful.

Red:

Red foods are full of lycopene, which reduce risk of several types of cancers.  Foods in this group include: Red apples, beets, red cabbage, cherries, cranberries, pink grapefruit, red grapes, red peppers, pomegranates, radishes, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon.

These carotenoid-rich foods help reduce risk of cancer, heart disease, and improve immune system function; people who eat these types of foods are less likely to have eye disorders and blindness associated with age.  Foods in this group include: Yellow apples, apricots, butternut squash, cantaloupe, carrots, grapefruit, lemons, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, yellow peppers, persimmons, pineapple, pumpkin, rutabagas, yellow summer or winter squash, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tangerines and yellow tomatoes.

A never-ending selection of colors to choose from!

Paul and Sonja on Waikiki Beach, August 2011

Researchers at SUNY Upstate Medical Center say if we triple our intake of these age-defying antioxidants, we can add at least four healthy years to our lives.  I think it’s amazing that there are so many different colors of fruits and vegetables to choose from.  How entertaining to color-code our food!  It keeps things simple.  Just eat a variety of colors, and you don’t  have to know the names of everything inside, plus, fruits and vegetables will help keep you healthy, young — and thin.

Are "they" trying to keep people fat?

The diet industry rakes in $59.7 billion dollars a year.  Keeping one-third of Americans overweight is a very lucrative business.   Dieters need to beware of ways the diet industry may want to pull — and keep, the wool over our eyes, such as:

1) Using words like “Fat Free” on packaging, tricking dieters into thinking they are eating less calories.  For example, Yoplait advertises their yogurt as ”99% fat free;” however, one container has 170 calories.  Dannon Fit ’N Light Yogurt only has 60 calories per container; it’s what I eat every morning for breakfast.  Did you know that if you eat 100 more calories than you burn in a day, you will gain one pound in a month, or 12 pounds in a year — or 120 pounds in 10 years?  It adds up.

2) Watch out for clothing retailers that trick people into feeling thinner than they really are, by

Sonja in Haleiwa, Hawaii, August 2011

making them fit into “smaller” sized clothes — or so it says so on the tags.  Old Navy is mentioned on MetaFilter as one of these, with women saying they fit into a size 4 or 6, when they are 8s and 10s anywhere else.  Men are quoted as saying the clothing there is “wildy big,” and while they are a large or XL at all other stores, at Old Navy they are a medium.  I think this sets people up to think they can now eat more because they feel thinner — and, of course, they will want to shop at the store with the “smaller” size.

3) The very lucrative $59.7 billion-dollar weight loss industry, and all the diet programs that go along with it (I know, I have probably been on every diet out there).  They all work.  I even lost my final 50 pounds on a nationally known diet, and bought food, products and supplements from them.  It’s not the diet, I have found, it’s living thin and keeping it off afterwards that is tricky.  Eighty to ninety percent of dieters gain their weight back after they quit dieting.  The diet industry keeps dangling new diets in front of our noses, telling us what was wrong with the last diet, and telling us why the new diet is going to work.  Aren’t we smarter than that?  Quit financing the diet industry, and live thin, my friends!

It's fun to wear nice clothes and feel pretty.

We all know about the health benefits of losing weight  (lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, control or eliminate diabetes, helps joint and arthritic pain, etc.), but still one-third of people are overweight in the United States.  It must not be motivating enough, or else everyone would be thin — right?

What are the other benefits, the ones that keep you going when all you feel like doing is eating everything on your plate even though you are way past full, or you have one of those ”all-I-feel-like-doing-is-devouring-a-bacon-double-cheeseburger-and-large-order-of-fries-with-a-chocolate-shake-because-I-can’t-take-one-more-salad” kind of days?

Here are the real benefits to being thin, with enough motivation and inspiration to keep you going no matter what!

1) Fun clothes to to wear.  It’s so much more fun to show off a cute figure if you are at your happy weight.

2)  You fit nicely into an airplane seat.

3)  You can sit on any kind of furniture without fear of breaking it.

4)  You fit nicely into a movie theater seat.

5)  You can wear any necklace, bracelet, ring or watch you desire.

6)  You fit nicely into a booth in a restaurant.

7) You no longer worry about stares or comments from people about your weight; if anything they will be telling you how good you look!

Sonja, enjoying the beach in Haleiwa, Hawaii, with her son, Mackie

8)   At job interviews, you don’t have to worry if being overweight will be a factor in deciding whether or not you will get the position.

9)  If you are trying to date, being thin helps.

10)  It is easier to keep a thin body clean.

11)  It’s easier to go to the bathroom.

12)  It’s easier to have sex. Sex is better.

13) It’s easier to enjoy any kind of physical activity that is fun, like riding a bike, taking a walk, swimming, hiking a trail, etc.

15)  You can go up a flight of stairs without feeling like you are going to die.  You might even seek out the stairs, because it is good exercise and will burn calories.

16)  You eat in front of people now, not worrying what they might be thinking.

17)  You are happy to see people you haven’t seen in a long time, not worried anymore about what they might be thinking of your weight gain.  You are thin now.

18) If you have suffered from sleep apnea, it gets better now, maybe even goes away entirely, and breathing at night gets easier (OK, this is technically kind of a health one, but who doesn’t want to get a good night’s sleep?)

19) You fit into a cars nicely.

20)  You will most definitely like yourself better, and feel better about things —  everything.

What’s on your list?

Remember, nothing tastes as good as thin feels!

Sonja, summer of 2011, Utah mountains

One thing I did after losing fifty pounds ten years ago was give away all my fat clothes.  My closet used to range in clothing sizes 8-18, perfect for a person used to yo-yo dieting for most of her life.  Getting rid of the larger-sized clothing was a huge commitment – it said, “this time, I’m going to stay thin.”

After reaching your “happy weight,” just go ahead and do it.  Get some new clothes to show off that new figure, and dispose of those larger-sized clothes.  Here are some ideas:

1)  Bag them up and take them to a donation site like Goodwill, Deseret Industries, the Veterans Association, your local church or any place looking for clothing.  Many will come and pick them up at your house.

2)  Take the clothes to a consignment store, where you can receive some money, nice when you are going to be spending a bit on a new wardrobe for your new figure! (but oh so worth it!).

Buffalo Exchange consignment & thrift clothing store

3)  Invite a friend to go through your bags before they go to the donation site, if it would make you feel better if your clothes went to a good home.

4)  Alter something only if it’s worth it to you.

When you go through your closet and drawers, be ruthless.  Get rid of everything that is too big now.  Baggy clothes do not look good!  Besides, you worked hard to lose weight, and it’s time to show off. 

Only having thin clothes in your closet is a huge commitment, and can be a bit scary.  But it shows that you are now living the thin lifestyle, and that is who you are now — a thin person, now and for the rest of your life!

Read:  “Act Like a Thin Person,” and “Think Like a Thin Person.” 

For other ideas:  “Yo-Yo Dieting: Stop the Insanity!” and “Life After Dieting; What Now, That the Pounds Are Gone?”

Read the labels to know for sure

How many sneaky diet words can you think of that are designed to pull the diet-wool over our eyes so we think we are eating better?

Low Calorie.  Low Carb. Low Fat. Organic.

A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research reported that when “diet words” are used, it actually caused people to eat more, especially dieters, since they are focused on trying to eat less forbidden foods. Non-dieters were less likely to fall for the “diet words.”

Most dieters assume that if it has a healthy name, then it is.  Wrong.  There’s no way to know unless you read the label.

Recent research also suggests that organic food benefits from a “halo” effect, tricking people into thinking it’s healthier, that there is significantly less calories and fat and more fiber in organic food — also not necessarily true.

Sonja by fountain in Las Vegas

These foods can be the exact same thing:

Fruit Chews = Candy Chews

Veggie Chips = Potato Chips

Fruit Smoothie = Milkshake

Salad = Pasta

Can you think of others? 

Before you buy something because it has one of those words on it, read the label first.  Read Harvard Study Reveals “Calories In, Calories Out” because no matter what you eat, that’s what it boils down to when trying to lose or maintain weight.  Don’t let the sneaky words, designed to coax even more money out of your already diet-weary wallet, get  you.

Sonja in Santa Monica, California, close to where the stars live

Movie and TV stars are in the public eye, and scrutinized for their figures every day.  Talk about pressure!  Want to know their Living Thin secrets?  I did a little research, and found out what some of our favorites do to stay thin:

Cameron Diaz:  This beach beauty actress loves to grill fresh vegetables, chicken, fish, steak and shrimp, with just a little oil and salt.  For breakfast, she eats egg whites, sauteed tomatoes, and steel-cut oatmeal, all mixed together, and stays away from pasta or white bread.  And although she loves fried chicken and french fries, she doesn’t eat them anymore because she felt like it was becoming too much of a strain on her body to digest.  Cameron’s treat:  Hot dogs and beer at a Los Angeles Dodgers game (including all the works and mayo).  

Valerie Bertinelli:  America’s Sweetheart from the TV Show “One Day at a Time,” Valerie lost 40 pounds on Jenny Craig and became one of their most famous spokeswomen — and she’s kept it off for over for over three years.  Valerie likes chicken on the barbecue, lean proteins and vegetables, and also Jenny Craig meals like Orange Chicken and Chicken Marsala, and turkey burgers.  When she found her weight creeping up on her a little when she approached 50 (“I’m Italian and cooking and eating are in my blood!”), she jumped right on it and got back down immediately.  Valerie’s treats:  White cheddar popcorn, grilled fresh fruit kabobs, reduced fat pound cake topped with a mountain of berries.

Britney Spears:  This hot mama is always getting scrutinized for her figure, and always seems to be able to pop back into shape.  Britney says: 1) no fruit juice, 2) eat plenty of fresh fruit, and avacados, 3) cut out french fries and other bad eating habits, 4) drink coffee with skim milk, instead of frappucinos.  When Britney really wants to get slim, she sticks to a 1,500-calorie-a-day food plan and makes choices like baked fish with broccoli.  Britney’s treat:  Sundays are cheat days.

Angelina Jolie:  One of the best-known hot bodies in Hollywood, Angelina likes the six-small-meals-a- day plan.  She enjoys steamed sea bass, steamed beef and vegetables, watches her portions and sticks with a high protein, low carb food plan.  Angelina also likes soy milk and stays away from sugar.  Whenever Angelina needs to detox, she does a popular celebrity weight loss cleanse called the Lemonade Detox Diet for 3-5 days that consists of drinking a mixture made up of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper & water (no solid food).  

Brad Pitt:  Our designated male for this post had to be a hunk, one who has had to show his bod in movies like “Thelma and Louise,” ”Fight Club” and “Troy.”  To get in shape for those roles, Brad followed a high protein, low carb plan, eating chicken, turkey, lean meats, eggs, tuna and cottage cheese; and also whey protein powder drinks and protein bars.  He ate whole wheat grains, green vegetables, oats, rice cakes, salads, bananas, brown rice and some pasta.  For other times, Brad also likes the 6-small-meals-a-day plan (like wife Angelina Jolie), and always watches his carb instake.  For treats: Now that Brad’s a dad, he believes in a little treat every now and then, and for Easter this year Brad bought his kids goody bags full of chocolate-covered pretzel rods, gummy butterflies, gummy cherries and jelly beans.

From the above, I like these ideas best:

1)  Portion control (Calories in, calories out)

2)  Getting back on track (Diet Redemption; You always get another chance)

3) Let yourself have treats (No More Bad Foods)

Delicious Mexican Food

I love Mexican food!

I used to think I had to avoid Mexican food because it was ”fattening,”  but after I started living the thin lifestyle, I found ways to eat Mexican food and maintain a  happy weight.  Knowing what’s in Mexican food is the trick; knowledge is power.  Here are 5 ways to  enjoy Mexican food — and not gain weight.  

1. Watch out for hidden fat:  Flour tortillas, corn tortillas, corn chips, refried beans, all look innocent enough, but are made with lard or oil (eat sparingly). 

2. Beware the Mexican food add-ons:  Sour cream, guacamole and cheese are all favorites, and all pack a wallop in the calorie area at about 100 calories a tablespoon.  Skip them if you can, or have only a little.

3.  Make these choices:  Fajitas (stir-fry chicken or beef and vegetables, and the rest

Mexican buffet

of the ingredients you control the portions);  Cocida (Mexican beef soup, clear broth with tons of vegetables), Calabacita (squash casserole, plus other vegetables); grilled chicken salad (lettuce, onions, tomatoes, just a little shredded cheese, use salsa for dressing).

 4. Steer clear of anything that looks like it’s been dropped in the grease:  

Chimichangas, flautas, rolled tacos, sopapillas, anything battered and fried.

5.  Eat lots of Salsa! Beautiful Salsa!  I think you could have as much salsa (chunky version is pico de gallo), and never gain weight because it is so low in calories and has zero fat.  So if you are going to add anything to your Mexican meal, add salsa!  Use it as a salad dressing substitute,  or as an addition to anything you are eating.  It will never hurt you. 

Yummy Salsa!

Salsa will also clear up your sinuses, and some people claim salsa cures the common cold.  It may very well be the “perfect” food.  I am always looking for an excuse to eat salsa!

Remember, there are no “bad” foods (read:  “Bashing a Common Diet Belief; No More Bad Foods,”) and that goes for Mexican food as well.  Just remember to tread lightly, eat everything in moderation, and most importantly — Enjoy!

MyPlate Replaces Food Pyramid

MyPlate is the latest in over 100 years of nutritional guidance from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture).

1894: USDA’s first dietary guidelines are published by Dr. Wilbur Olin Atwater, as a farmer’s bulletin.

1916: USDA publishes its first food guide, Food for Young Children.

1943:  The Basic “7″

1956: The Basic “4″ (Milk, meats, breads, fruits & vegetables).

1992: The Food Guide Pyramid

2005: MyPyramid (added the suggestion of physical activity for health).

2011: MyPlate

MyPlate is meant to inspire the public to make correct eating choices, especially in supermarkets and restaurants.  First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement the first of June 2011.  The icon will be placed on food packaging and in nutrition education in the United States.

Since Michelle Obama is actively involved in the “Let’s Move” program, aimed at ending childhood obesity, the re-naming of the Food Pyramid may have had something to do with re-naming it “MyPlate” aimed at all ages. 

Food Pyramid

MyPlate recommends making half of your selections fruits and vegetables; this is my favorite part.  It’s not so helpful for people who are lactose intolerant, abstain from dairy, or for people from other cultures who do not drink milk beyond infancy.  It is also not helpful for vegetarians, vegans, or those following low-carb, high-protein diets like Atkins. 

As for people like me, who believe in the Harvard Study for weight maintenance (read: “Calories In, Calories Out”), it’s not telling me much more than I didn’t already learn from my beloved Food Pyramid.  However, if it helps those who need instruction on healthy choices, and children learning about healthy choices, then I’m all for it.  Thank you again, Michelle.

I also find it slightly amusing that things are ever-changing in the world of diet opinion. For example, we used to think egg yolks were bad for us; now we can eat the whole egg with wild abandon.   Avacados used to be bad because they are high in fat; now we hear it’s “good” fat; (I say they make my coat shiny); and now, last month a study was released saying salt is okay after a University in Belgium studied 3,681 people over a period of 7.9 years and found that salt didn’t hurt their health at all.

How about: Everything in moderation (has that been said before?)

Your thoughts?