The full moon in September is called the Harvest Moon. September is a time of abundance, when Mayne Island orchards are heavy with fruit, and our gardens produce a wealth of vegetables. It’s wonderful to celebrate the profusion of the earth’s gifts at this time with feasts and potlucks and barbecues under autumn skies.
What does all this have to do with taking off pounds sensibly? Like bears, some of us prepare for the coming winter by storing up food. We freeze, can, or dry our food. But we humans can enjoy the abundance of this season without following the eating habits of the bears, who eat 15,000 to 20,000 calories each day to see them through the winter. We can preserve food or we can feast, but if we feast we can do it wisely. Here are some handy tips to help us feast sensibly.
Water is your good friend. If you drink a large glass of water before each meal you’ll feel better and have less room for seconds and thirds.
Eat protein for breakfast and lunch to balance out the empty calories you might choose to treat yourself to later in the day.
If you’re going to a potluck, bring a healthy contribution that you know you can enjoy.
If larger and smaller plates are set out, opt for the smaller one. It’s actually been shown that we eat less if our plate is smaller.
Take a walk around the tables and scan all the goodies before selecting any, making sure you have some of Dave’s deviled eggs or Barb’s coffee cake instead of those chips you can eat any day.
Take ten. Every time you feel like reaching for another yummy morsel, wait ten minutes. Walk away or turn and talk to someone, and if you still want that treat in ten minutes, go ahead and eat it. But you just might have forgotten all about it.
And remember, celebrating isn’t all about the food. Circulate. Talk with someone new. Shy people often cling to the food table so they don’t have to interact with others, so if that’s you, comment on someone’s great outfit or ask them where they live, and you just might make a friend and forget all about the food for a while.
We’d love to see you at TOPS. We meet every Wednesday morning at the Community Centre, from 9:00 to 10:00. We’re a low-cost, enjoyable, self-help program that cheerfully welcomes everyone. (Your first visit is free.)
References for this piece are Good Housekeeping, and Organizing Coach for Home and Business Success | Marcia Ramsland | Organizing Pro
Submitted by Amber Harvey