Okay, so my apologies if the photo is a bit misleading, as this article has little to do with eating grapefruit. I wanted to illustrate a point that perhaps the title does all by itself. Anyway, back to the point.
Before I continue, let me first say that I am neither a nutritionist, dietician, nor a personal trainer. Whenever I make a suggestion regarding anything of a fitness nature, it is based solely upon something that I’ve tried that gave me good results. I mean, knowing how to fix something on your car doesn’t make you a mechanic or an automotive engineer, right? So, if you have questions or concerns about anything you’re about to read from this layman/good Samaritan, please, by all means, consult with your doctor or health care practitioner. Okay, now, onto the point…
How many of us are trying hard, exercising, watching what we eat and all that good stuff, but just can’t seem to shrink that spare tire around the waist by any considerable measure? Well, if that’s you, I challenge you to consider cutting your portion sizes in half. This was something that I started doing about a week ago, and have been quite pleased with my results already. Case in point…
One of my guilty pleasures is the occasional trip to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. One of my favorites is their “Momma’s French Toast Breakfast,” which usually includes 4 slices of sourdough French toast, breakfast meat and two scrambled eggs. (By the way, this isn’t an ad for the aforementioned restaurant, and I am not getting paid to plug their name… just sharing one of my guilty pleasures). What I did the last time I went there, was immediately request a carry-out box and put half my food in there for later (two slices of French toast and one of the two pieces of breakfast meat). What I found was that I left satisfied, but without the bloated feeling that comes along with “cleaning my plate.” I went home and put it in the refrigerator for the next day. As good as it was when I got it the day before, the next day I realized I didn’t even want it and ended up throwing it away. Now some of you might say “that was a waste,” but the way I see it, I could have either wasted it inside my body or out; and who’s going to argue that waste inside the body is better than waste outside?
So, the next time you get ready to go out for a meal (or even cook one at home), ask yourself questions like, “is it really necessary to eat this whole enormous burger that’s really big enough to feed two people? Must I eat this entire 16oz ribeye at one time? Do I really need to eat this whole 8oz sirloin this late at night?” I mean, really friends, how many calories do you really need to burn in winding down for the evening? Are you gonna run a marathon in your sleep? Instead, consider fueling up for the task at hand. If you’re a professional athlete, farmer, or any exercise that requires a high amount of physical exertion, I understand the high caloric intake. But if you’re working at a job where you’re burning less than 500 calories (sitting at a desk or driving a commercial vehicle, etc), why eat a 1200-calorie meal, only to eat again 4-6 hours later? When you do the math, you start seeing that you’re packing fresh calories (or units of energy) on top of 700 you hadn’t even burned. So here’s a suggestion…
If you love getting a burger and fries for lunch, or steak and potato for dinner, I’d like to challenge you to simply cut the burger in half and eat only half the fries; or cut the steak in half and eat only half the potato, then take the rest home for later. I’d love to know how you feel after about two weeks of doing this. And don’t say, “well Matt, how about I get a small fry instead of the large?” No, I’m afraid it doesn’t quite work that way. Stay true to the challenge. Get the small fry and only eat half. And even those of you, my healthier-eating friends who love to eat things like stir fried vegetables over brown rice and such. If you’re having a problem shedding the inches, try eating half the amount you normally do. Also, if you aren’t already regularly exercising, try to walk at least one mile a day, at least five times a week. The beauty of walking is it’s one of the best forms of exercise, and you don’t need a fitness club membership to do it.
So there’s the challenge folks. Divide those portions in half and get out and walk. See how you feel after two weeks. I won’t make any claims or promises, but I’d bet you feel great and may just notice your pants fitting a little looser! I’d love to hear how it’s going for you, so please stop back by and leave a comment at the bottom of this article. Have a great day!
-MT
P.S. I know I didn’t get around to talking about beverages in the above article, but here’s one more question to consider: Do you really need to drink three or four glasses of cola or sweet tea (if you’re in the south) with lunch/dinner? Probably not. Look at the nutrition information and make note of the number of calories in an 8 or 16 oz serving of your favorite sweetened beverage, then do the math. It adds up quickly, both the number of calories and the inches around the waist.
