With summer well and truly here I thought I would put together my top tips on how to keep your weight and health in check despite the multiple BBQ and garden party invitations! The inspiration for this blog post & video came from a recent trip to a barbecue at the Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club and thanks to Rural Recipes I enjoyed an amazing spread.. the 80/20 rule was well and truly in full force!!
Check out my video to hear my top tips and keep on scrolling to see what I ate!
Links Mentioned:
- Slim by Design Book by Brian Wansink
- Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink Book Review
- Tip 1) Scout out the buffet when you arrive and plan in advance what your indulgences are going to be… load your plate up with lean greens and protein (80% healthy) and then add your chosen desires.. whether it be creamy carbs, calorie dense dips or (like me) a naughty dessert (20% what ever you like!)!
- Tip 2) Choose a small plate if available (so you load less food onto your plate!) and try to sit at least 10 feet away from the buffet, facing away from it – this way having seconds will be less on your mind! If you do have seconds, make sure that they’re green and lean ;).
- Tip 3) Don’t be afraid to ask the waiter for the ‘lighter’ most complimented options/dishes. The chef can always be consulted to see what is in the foods that you are about to it. In general though the greens and salads will contain more nutrients and less calories then the creamier options.
- Tip 4) When it comes to calorie containing drinks such as alcohol, use a tall slim glass, and when it comes to drinking water, use a short wider glass – we tend to pour more liquid into shorter, wider glasses!
- Tip 5) Keep your hands occupied to prevent mindless munching e.g. a drink in one hand and a camera, phone or bag in the other (in order to eat you have to consciously put one item down!).
- Tip 6) Pace yourself with a slow eater – our brains take 20 minutes to recognise that we’re eating so by slowing things down, and putting your knife and fork down between mouthfuls, we are more likely to feel satisfied with a smaller amount of food.
I really hope you find these tips useful – the other thing to remember though is that if going to a party or buffet is a rare occurrence then you could just say ‘I’m going to eat and drink what ever I want’ (!!).
My tips are purely here to help with ‘damage limitation’ and you may choose to carry out 1, 2, all of them or none of them – however you manage your weight is up to you, and there isn’t a one size fits all solution! I personally follow the 80/20 rule (loosely) and find that this way of life works for me – no food is banned and I get to eat what I love!
Here’s to a sunny summer!
Nic x
