It can seem inevitable. The holidays are coming up and so is the possibility of gaining a few pounds—a mini-Snickers here, a cocktail party there—and before you know it, your jeans feel a size smaller. But you can stop the snowball effect before it starts with Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D. and Betty Kelly Sargent’s The Instinct Diet. Here are their tips on how to enjoy high-calorie treats, without overdoing it:
Never eat your treat alone: Always eat your treat accompanied by a low-calorie food. For example, if your treat is chips, try eating them with a low-fat yogurt dip and some red pepper slices and celery.
Apply the “sandwich” technique: Sandwich your higher-calorie mealtime and snack foods between two lower-calories foods. As an example, for the top of the “sandwich” have something bulky and filling such as a green salad with legumes, seafood and dressing or a vegetable soup. For the middle of the sandwich, have your entrée and a small rich dessert. The bottom of the sandwich should always be low in calories and signal the end of the meal.
Follow the “once-a-day” plan: When you have a handle on your limits, enjoy a 100-calorie snack every day, or a 200-calorie snack every other day.
Make indulgences less indulgent: By finding enjoyment in lower-calorie, higher-fiber foods, there’ll be greater pleasure in everything you eat.
A time for everything: Establish regular times to eat. By doing so, your brain will know that you’ll be having a special dessert every Saturday night, and will subsequently stop bothering you about dessert on every other night of the week.
