Kasia the Expert

As I begin making plans for my Super Bowl party, I question which foods to feature on this year's menu.  Super Bowl parties of the past bring great memories; plates of hot wings, plenty of pizza, 6' party subs, bottomless mugs of beer and smacking my best friend upside the head with a Nerf football every time my team made a big play.  However, I think about the later months of 2007 and all the opportunities given to eat like a king during the holidays.  Like many others I have made a New Year's resolution to eat responsibly and get into shape for the summer months ahead.  That being said, I don't want to make a huge impact on game day traditions that have been built upon over the years.

It is very possible to have a fantastic Super Bowl get together while still maintaining focus on your nutrition goals and Balanced Life Index (BLI).  Host a pre-game dinner party using recipes found on StartMakingChoices.com, instead of serving food buffet style throughout the entire game.  Replace traditional snack foods with fresh fruit and vegetable trays.  Try a soup and salad theme, the "Potato-Leek Soup" recipe found in the recipe database is very satisfying.  Whatever you decide to serve on Super Bowl Sunday, remember the key to reaching nutrition goals is not making every day a Super Bowl.  So enjoy the game, food, family and friends but remember to keep on track with your meal plans the following day regardless of how you choose to celebrate the game.  It is very possible that the time you spend enjoying a good Super Bowl party might actually increase your overall BLI score by contributing points towards your Well-Being.

This week I agreed to participate in a race to lose weight, similar to The Biggest Loser. I am considered a self-motivated individual but honestly, I look forward to a little competition! My goal of losing 10 pounds in 10 weeks may not sound like a huge challenge but I've carried those 10 pounds for the last 8 years. Now, with a little pressure from fellow weight losers, I have more incentive to follow my personal plan.

My mini makeover plan is simple. Once I took the Balanced Life Index (BLI) survey and reviewed my personal plan for nutrition, activity and well-being; I realized a great deal of research and planning had been done for me. My nutrition score on the BLI was the highest followed by well being and activity.

I chose to start my mini makeover by focusing on nutrition and activity and here are some small changes I plan on making to reach my goal:

• Add a fruit of vegetable to every meal. For example, instead of my favorite peanut butter and jelly toast made with two slices of bread at breakfast, I can make it with just one slice of multigrain bread and replace the other slice of bread with about half a cup of my favorite fruit.
• Replace just half of my daily indulgent desserts, such as chocolate chip cookies, with a low fat popcorn.
• Add three, ten minute sessions of physical activity daily. I can start by taking the stairs. Since I work on the fourth floor of a typical office building, I am confident this is an achievable goal! 

Like many Americans, I've caught myself conforming to the belief that more is almost always better. During my college years, a local restaurateur actually created a 1-1/2 pound hamburger especially for me. I remember hearing the owner bellow "looks like you could use a triple" upon seeing my six-foot-seven-inch frame enter his establishment. The funny thing is, I now see his menu offers a 2-pound burger. Our search for the best "deal" has created a demand for bigger portion sizes at the smallest initial cost. In the long run, however, it's a much better deal to maintain good health by moderating calorie consumption to retain a healthy weight.

Here are a few suggestions that I've found helpful for keeping portions under control in a world of up-sized servings.

• When dining out, propose sharing an entrée with your dining partner.  Chances are good that he or she may also be looking for ways to reduce calories.
• If entrée sharing isn't an option, ask the server to box half of your meal before bringing your food to the table. If half of your meal is already packaged for carry-out, the number of calories consumed at that particular sitting has just been cut in half. (And you have the benefit of two meals for the price of one! What a deal!)
• At home, use a salad sized plate and save the traditional dinner plate for special dining occasions. Using a smaller sized plate will create the illusion of eating a bigger meal.
• Avoid serving food "family-style," (i.e. plating at the table.) Instead, plate all foods in the kitchen. This will help keep excess calories at bay by limiting the opportunity for second helpings.