My big resolution this year: Don’t make your breakfast a “two-fer”. Wondering what I mean? Well, how often do you walk into your office to find the baked goods fairy has delivered a dozen fresh donuts? Now, how easy is it to resist temptation? Not very.
If you often find yourself in this situation, why not stash a low-fat granola bar or another item that is a “go” for your diet in your desk drawer? Sure, it’s no iced-with-candy-sprinkles treat, but giving yourself an alternative -- a healthier goody to munch on -- might save you a few calories while everyone else is dropping glaze crumbs on their shirts.
If you're watching fat intake, baked potatoes can be a real diet staple – they're very low in fat and quite filling. But the challenge is to find something to top that tater that will keep you from racking up the fat. Just one teaspoon of regular sour cream cranks up the fat content to six grams. And have you ever tried to eat a naked baked potato? The word bland springs to mind.
Seeking some sour cream switches? Check out these ideas: Low-fat plain yogurt and chives; reduced-fat salad dressing; honey mustard; reduced-fat cottage cheese; salsa; Dijon mustard; or broccoli and low-fat melted cheese. If you're feeling really adventurous, you could give this reader’s recipe a try:
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese (1% milk fat)
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon tamari soy sauce
1 tablespoon green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon imitation bacon chips
2 teaspoons dried chopped onion
Place yogurt, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and soy sauce in a food processor or blender. Mix until completely smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill.
Some time ago, I decided to write my weight loss history. I knew nobody would read it but me, so I wrote about whatever I wanted to -- what diets I had tried, what I disliked about them, why I feel they failed me .. I also wrote about why I thought I had gained weight in the first place and how I had, at times, sabotaged myself. When I finished, I was amazed at what I learned about my feelings and attitudes about losing weight.
It helped me gain focus and I occasionally refer to it when I start to slip. You may want to give the write stuff a try, too; you just might be surprised at what you learn about yourself.
