January 11th-the power of the plate

What the heck does that mean you ask? Well, I will tell you. I ate breakfast in my car-filled me up, but not very satisfying. Ate lunch that I had packed at Starbucks while doing paperwork. Once again, filling, but not very satisfying. Dinner was at home-cooked it and put it on a plate. Sat down and ah, full AND satisfied. This is what I learned from today's meals. Lunch probably would have been a lot more fulfilling if I had spread it all out on a plate and realized all that I had. Dinner was microwaved and could have been eaten out of containers, but I took it out and put it on a small plate. Now, it not only looked like a meal, but it filled up the whole plate, making me think I had a lot of food.

I have used this strategy before with dessert and cereal. I put both of these into coffee cups to look like more. Because it fills up the container that it is in, it just seems like more. My other trick is to use my kids spoons to eat with. A toddler spoon is smaller and has a more shallow bowl-takes much longer to eat a "cup" of ice cream this way! Now, I just need to employ it with dinner too. The plates we have are called dinner plates, but they are huge and could easily cause me to overeat. I like bulk in my food, so when it looks like a lot, I am happy.

That is probably why I love the bag of microwave popcorn. So much popcorn when you pour it in a bowl and you can eat the whole thing without guilt. Anyone else a bulk eater out there? This is probably also why the Slim Fast plan would never work for me. Seriously, how can you drink a can of something that is supposed to be a meal and feel satisfied? Even if it does fill you up?

Here is the diet for the day:
Breakfast: 2 eggs on 1 slice of toast. Tea.

Lunch: Yogurt, sliced turkey, orange and Fiber + Bar. Tea.

Dinner: Lean Cuisine lasagna with meat sauce, box of Green Giant veggies, water.

Dessert: Weight Watchers ice cream cup. Diet Hot Chocolate.

Total Calories: 1200 for the day.

My tennis lesson was also supposed to start today. Apparently, the instructor was sick so we are starting next week. I was really bummed. One, it meant no exercise, but two, it was a "me" activity that I did not get to do. I am really excited about the fact that my kids are getting older and "me" activities are becoming a possibility again. I don't count going to the grocery store by myself as a "me" activity!

Tomorrow, I have to get to the gym and get my run in for my Couch to 5K. I am so excited for this. Anyone want to meet me?

So, remember the power of the plate and make your meals both filling and satisfying. It is so much more enjoyable that way.

Bring on 2010-the year of trimming the fat because I have determined that YOU CAN'T TUCK THE FAT IN!