FEED YOUR BODY RIGHT: SHE GETS HALF OF HER MEAL TO GO
After years of frustration, Mary Ellen O’Grady finally found a weight-loss device that works for her: the venerable doggie bag.
At age 37, the Loch Arbour, New Jersey, resident noticed that even though her eating habits hadn’t changed, her waistline had expanded. Daily exercise was helping prevent serious poundage from accumulating. Still, she was roughly 10 pounds above her healthy weight, and she was worried about gaining more.
At first, she tried to control her calorie and fat intake by measuring her foods, even her snacks. It helped, but still she wasn’t satisfied with the results. She expected the pounds to come off faster. She decided that she needed to do something more.
Mary Ellen scrutinized her eating habits and quickly figured out that her problem wasn’t what she was eating at home. “I travel a lot, and I’m not a big fan of cooking, so I eat a lot of meals in restaurants,” she explains. “You go out to these places, and they just load you up with volumes of food. I was eating way too much.”
So, she reasoned, why not be as diligent about portion sizes in restaurants as at home?
The next time she ate out, she gave the idea a try. When placing her order, Mary Ellen also asked the waiter for a doggie bag. And \ when both arrived, she didn’t hesitate—she immediately divided : ^ the food into two portions, placing half in the bag. t
Success! No longer tempted, Mary Ellen ate what was left on her plate and took the rest home.
This technique, along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, helped Mary Ellen take off those pesky 10 pounds in about 6 months. She has kept her weight in check ever since, no matter what’s on the menu.
WINNING ACTION
Get half to go. According to Dale Hayes, R.D., a nutrition consultant in Billings, Montana, the portions that you get when you eat out are often two to three times larger than the portions that you eat at home. Even if you order a low-fat entree, you could be consuming an entire day’s worth of calories in one sitting if you eat the whole thing. So do as Mary Ellen does and ask for a doggie bag when placing your order. This way, you stow away temptation before it even has a chance.
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