So far, meal planning is not going well. I found a site, but they do not offer any actual meals, just a space to plan them. Uh, yeah, not so helpful since the problem has been the extra 500-700 calories I manage to squeeze in with my current menu. I was hoping for suggestions, but that was a bust. There is still hope, but a girl has got to keep going.
The next hurdle in the phase, portion control. I have no concept of portion control. When you grow up in a Southern home you've had enough when you lapse into a post-gluttonous haze. Then, and only then is grandma happy. Grandma is, well a grandma, Bingo arms and house coat hips are what authenticates them, at 35-not so much. So I did some research and figured the best route for me to take is the Optimal Illusion route. Quick and easy, you simply eat your main course on a salad plate and stick to the pyramid guidelines 1/2 vegetables, 1/4 meat/protein, 1/4 grains/starch.
Last night, I made whole wheat penne with a Florentine sauce and added fresh grated Parmesan. Total calories in a 6 oz serving: 350. Of course I missed my usual fist sized serving of toasted garlic bread and wine, but I was satisfied and it was significantly less food than I'd normally serve myself. Conclusion, using a salad plate for the main course creates the optimal illusion; mind over matter.
The next hurdle in the phase, portion control. I have no concept of portion control. When you grow up in a Southern home you've had enough when you lapse into a post-gluttonous haze. Then, and only then is grandma happy. Grandma is, well a grandma, Bingo arms and house coat hips are what authenticates them, at 35-not so much. So I did some research and figured the best route for me to take is the Optimal Illusion route. Quick and easy, you simply eat your main course on a salad plate and stick to the pyramid guidelines 1/2 vegetables, 1/4 meat/protein, 1/4 grains/starch.
Last night, I made whole wheat penne with a Florentine sauce and added fresh grated Parmesan. Total calories in a 6 oz serving: 350. Of course I missed my usual fist sized serving of toasted garlic bread and wine, but I was satisfied and it was significantly less food than I'd normally serve myself. Conclusion, using a salad plate for the main course creates the optimal illusion; mind over matter.
PS: No big recipes here, Fresh & Easy brand whole wheat pasta and Classico Florentine sauce.
Peace
7 comments:
Yep. The salad plate is the only way to go when at home, it works wonders. As you said, those Southern roots have us use to filling up our plates and then trying to fill up a second. Its painful to cut back in the beginning, but then your body gets reconditioned and you start to love the new lifestyle.
i've heard of this salad plate plan before (think one of my aunt is doing it right now), and it seems to work for people as far as i can tell.
(i cooked that same kind of whole wheat pasta yesterday)
I've been using this method of putting the down after each bite, asking yourself if you're hungry, and then when you are... you stop eating. It works wonders. I am very in touch my fullness. So much so that my husband and I have to share a lunch that we normally ate individually. Oh also this method asks that you not eat in front of the T.V. or while reading. I've lost 5 lbs already.
There are this portion plates too, with defined areas for different types of food (a bit for protein, a bit for carbs, etc).
Good luck!
So the gargantuan salad I had on a dinner size plate was probably a bust, eh?
The portion plates never worked for me because I just went back for seconds. What did work for me was Weight Watchers and the point system. Really. The only thing.
Whole wheat pasta is so good that I could eat it naked...um, not me, the pasta.
It looks good but I know that I would still be hungry. Add a salad to that meal and I think it would be perfect.
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