A Passionate Kiss Burns 6.4 Calories Per Minute

(i'm in Vegas pigging out as this posts.  i felt like i probably needed to be honest about that.)

I've never really enjoyed food.  Meals were usually something I took part in for socialization, honestly.  I guess I got hungry at some point, and usually just ate a plain sandwich or something?  I never gave it much thought.  Why would I?  I was always very thin.

Enter cooking class.  Enter my discovery that I actually LIKE to cook.  Enter TEN, who also likes to cook. 

Yea.  Now I like food.  And that's great, I suppose.  But for the first time in my life I am not sure what to do about this pudge I've acquired.  I don't want to quit cooking, and I don't like exercising.  Therein lies the paradox....(any Prep readers out there??)

I Googled "Easiest Way To Lose Weight".  I hadn't a clue what I would find.  I did like the idea of the treadmill/desk contraption.  Although I'm quite sure my company doesn't have any intention of purchasing it for me :(

(treadmill desk - the woman blogging about this says that after just 4 months she lost 14lbs.  now her biggest problem is trying to eat more.  lucky her.)

So, back to the easiest ways to lose weight.  I found a lovely article from Reader's Digest Health.  It lists 50 ways to lose weight.  Pretty good article.  I don't do many of the things it tells me to stop doing, so I gave myself points for that :)  I did learn a few things though.

For example, do you realize how small portion sizes are?  Because this girl didn't.  And I have a feeling that if I followed them more closely I would lose all the weight I need to.  Granted, I'd be hungry & cranky most of the time.  But I'd be skinny.  Here, have a look:

What Does a Serving Size Look Like!

(An ounce (30 gram) of cheese is the size of four dice.)

(A 3-ounce (85 gram) serving of cooked meat is the size of a deck of cards)

(Two tablespoons of salad dressing is the size of a shot glass.)

In T's world a serving size of cheese squares is as many as I can fit on to my plate before the next person in line starts cutting their eyes at me.  This actually happened last Saturday evening.  Seriously. 

In T's world a filet oscar only comes in the 6oz size.  What am I supposed to do?  Only eat 1/2 of my filet?  Psht!  I don't think so. 

And don't even get me started on the Ranch dressing.

Some of the tips I am actually going to try to integrate into my life are:

**When ground beef was swapped out for mushrooms in lasagna, sloppy joes, and chili, adults consumed 400 fewer calories per day, according to a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study. Researchers estimate that if you sub mushrooms for ground meat in one meal every week, you can lose five pounds in a year.

 
 


**Once a week, indulge in a high-calorie-tasting, but low-calorie, treat. This should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher-calorie foods. For instance:

•Lobster. Just 83 calories in 3 ounces.
•Shrimp. Just 60 calories in 12 large.
•Smoked salmon. Just 66 calories in two ounces. Sprinkle with capers for an even more elegant treat.
•Whipped cream. Just 8 calories in one tablespoon. Drop a dollop over a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert.

**Walk for 45 minutes a day. The reason we’re suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that a Duke University study found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much you’re eating.

**Bring the color blue into your life more often. There’s a good reason you won’t see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating.

(if this is what wearing blue does, sign me up!)

**Downsize your dinner plates. Studies find that the less food put in front of you, the less food you’ll eat. Conversely, the more food in front of you, the more you’ll eat — regardless of how hungry you are. So instead of using regular dinner plates that range these days from 10-14 inches (making them look forlornly empty if they’re not heaped with food), serve your main course on salad plates (about 7-9 inches wide).

(use the small plate people.  not the big plate. got it?)

**Serve your dinner restaurant style (food on the plates) rather than family style (food served in bowls and on platters on the table). When your plate is empty, you’re finished; there’s no reaching for seconds.

**Use vegetables to bulk up meals. You can eat twice as much pasta salad loaded with veggies like broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes for the same calories as a pasta salad sporting just mayonnaise.

**Take a walk before dinner. You’ll do more than burn calories — you’ll cut your appetite. In a study of 10 obese women conducted at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, 20 minutes of walking reduced appetite and increased sensations of fullness as effectively as a light meal.


And finally.  The one that I'm pretty darn sure I'm not going to be able to do.  Ever.......

**Pare your portions. Whether you eat at home or in a restaurant, immediately remove one-third of the food on your plate. Arguably the worst food trend of the past few decades has been the explosion in portion sizes on America’s dinner plates (and breakfast and lunch plates). We eat far, far more today than our bodies need. Studies find that if you serve people more food, they’ll eat more food, regardless of their hunger level. The converse is also true: Serve yourself less and you’ll eat less.

One of my favorite "tips" is to sleep more.  People who sleep more consume less calories.  You think?  My guess is because people don't eat when they're sleeping.  Just sayin....
 
Do you have any great (okay, i mean easy) tips for dropping a few pounds?  Did you have any idea a serving size was less than what your 1 year old neice eats in 1 sitting?  Do you have a desk treadmill? 
 
Talk to me :)
 

T