Eat In:

Eat Your Pleasers, Skip Your Teasers

If you want to be successful in attaining your ideal body weight, never never never give up your favorite foods!

That's right, I'm recommending that you continue to eat your favorite foods.

But, here's the catch...not every food can be your favorite. So, you've got to whittle down the list.

When you give yourself permission to eat your favorite foods (your "pleasers"), it makes it a whole lot easier to stop eating all the other things that you eat just because they are there (your "teasers"). These are words that I coined more than a decade ago.

So, your assignment for this week...should you elect to proceed...is to isolate your pleaser foods...in as much detail as possible.

For example, I find it fairly easy to avoid most desserts...not because I don't like sweets...but because I'm really picky about my sweets.

I love brownies, but I'm not going to waste my calories on just any brownies. It MUST be Ghiradelli Double Chocolate. I used to make my own brownies, but I can't beat this particular mix.

I love ice cream, but it has to be chocolate chip ice cream with small pieces of dark chocolate. If the chunks are big, then I'm not interested.

Would you spend some time this week to narrow down your pleaser foods and let me know what you've found out? Send an email to contact@drjo.com.

1. Spit it out. We eat a lot of different foods at the annual parties. Don't like it? Spit it out! (discreetly of course).  Eating just 10 calories extra a day adds up to 1# over the year. PS Most hors d'oeuvres have 100+ calories! So, don't pop it all in your mouth.
2. Get undressed! Naked food isn't very high in calories. Order the dressings, sauces, & butters on the side.  PS Looking at yourself (naked) in the mirror can also be motivating.
3. Give to the homeless. Instead of eating all those edible holiday gifts, drop them off at your local shelter.
4. Skip the makeup and find a simpler "do." No time to exercise you say? Instead of spending an hour getting ready on the outside, use that time to get your insides looking good and feeling great!
5. Tap your toes to the music. Take advantage of the "fidget factor." At parties, stand instead of sitting. Catch yourself mindlessly nibbling on nuts at a family gathering? Grab a partner and go for a walk. Every calorie counts!!
6. Play with your food. Dab the grease off your pizza, peel off the chicken skin, scrape off the icing, drain the butter off the broccoli... Of course, Miss Manners may not approve, but she doesn't have to try to fit into your jeans.
7. Find more than food. I would never suggest you give up your holiday food favorites, but look beyond the food for fun...the time off, your friends and family, the lights and music and other special events.