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At the Diet Center, the programs are developed from nutritional principles and proven to produce successful results. All clients receive one on one counseling along with effective weight loss programs that have helped millions of people shed pounds and inches. We are dedicated to helping you meet and maintain your goal.
The Diet Center programs are developed from nutritional principles, which are easy to follow and proven to produce successful results. We have developed effective weight loss programs that have helped millions of people shed pounds and inches. We are dedicated to helping you meet AND maintain your goal.
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120 E 56th Street 212-759-8118
YOUR PLAN TO KEEP THE POUNDS FROM PILING ON THIS HOLIDAY SEASON:
“Counting-down” to the New Year INSTEAD OF
“Counting-up” the Pant Size!
By Becky Wilborn, Director and Susan Cleary, Holistic Health and Diet Counselor at Diet Center
Ok, we all know the most disastrous 5 weeks of the year as far as food and beverage temptations go are upon us. How many years have we woken up on New Year’s Day with our clothes being too tight to wear comfortably (maybe can’t button at all)?? NOT a Happy New Year….
What to do? SHIFT in to an empowerment mentality right NOW. How? It is all about awareness armed with your wisdom, experience, and desire. You will be so much happier with yourself and your waistline come New Year’s Day with a plan to keep the pounds from piling on over the holidays.
Let’s start with Thanksgiving. If you are hosting the dinner this can be good news and bad news. The good news is you can prepare all of the wonderful vegetable recipes using butter sparingly or not at all in the preparation. Try replacing butter with fresh squeezed lemon on most green vegetables with a small amount of salt and ground pepper. Serve butter or your favorite low-fat spread in a pretty dish on the side. Squash and sweet potatoes are naturally sweet so skip the brown sugar and marshmallows.
The bad news is that you may be tempted to “taste” or “pick” the delicacies you are preparing. One of the best ways to eliminate mindless picking while cooking is to CHEW GUM! If you really need to taste do so with a teaspoon and put the gum back in your mouth. You can always get a volunteer to taste your recipes instead of you!
It is a good idea to have some healthy things to munch on like veggies and a cut up apple. At the Diet Center we always keep low-fat Greek yogurt around with chopped dill, parsley with some Mrs. Dash and ground pepper to use as a dip for the veggies. Your family will like it, too.
As far as the Thanksgiving dinner, it can be extremely healthy and not fattening if you choose wisely. The turkey breast has only 170 calories for 4 ounces. Either pass on the gravy or use very sparingly. Instead of sugary cranberry sauce put some whole fresh raw cranberries with a whole orange (yes, with the rind) into a food processor or juicer to make a fresh cranberry relish. Use some Splenda or Stevia to sweeten. Then pick the colorful veggies, double up on the green vegetables. They are full of antioxidants and lower on the glycemic index which means they will fill you up without producing high amounts of fat-storing insulin.
While eating, be aware of chewing your food very well. Try chewing each bite up to 20 times. Savor all of the delicious food on your plate. If you eat slowly your stomach will send a chemical message to your brain that you are full! If you must have seconds, have more of the good fibrous veggies and protein packed turkey that will keep your dessert cravings down.
As far as dessert, at the end of this article you will find a recipe for crust-less pumpkin pie You can always bring one of these deserts with you if you’re going to someone else’s house. Cleaning up the kitchen and a nice walk, weather permitting, after dinner will help digestion and burn a few calories and also get you away from the desert table!
Of course, the leftovers are always the best part of Thanksgiving. Enjoy a half of a turkey sandwich instead of a whole one on some of the good low cal bread selections. Better yet make yourself a chef’s salad with the turkey and chopped vegetables with some low fat dressing or try some of the salad spray dressings for super low calories. (We don’t recommend the 0 fat/0 calorie dressings, just ruins lovely greens!) And do make some turkey soup by cooking the turkey carcass for the broth and then add vegetables, no need for noodles or starch. Have this with your half of turkey sandwich! Very satisfying.
Here is your game plan to get the most out of the holidays and control your appetite.
- WALK : It is usually faster than a cab in the holiday traffic. Window shop and look at the decorations. Be child like and enjoy the season! You will de-stress by breathing deeply and being in the moment.
- PARTIES: Start of the party with a glass of seltzer and then limit yourself to 2 alcoholic beverages by sipping slowly and adding ice to cocktails...good idea to have a glass of seltzer between. Red wine is lower in calories and sugar than white wine and has helpful health benefits. Eat the shrimp, veggies and if you can eat 10-20 nuts without eating the whole bowl, nuts are good. CHEW! Be mindful of what you are eating when you are chatting it up!
- DRINK WATER: It is easy to get dehydrated if you don’t consciously drink a minimum of 6-8 ounces of water daily. Throw in some green tea for it will not only boost your immune system but stokes up the metabolism.
- RELATIONSHIPS: Is there someone you want to patch things up with before the New Year? Someone you want to thank for being extra kind to you? Don’t let the “busy-ness” of the season distract you from the important things.
Keeping focused on your plan will keep your mind off of the unnecessary sweet and fatty foods. Keep eating all of the nutrient dense foods and your cravings for sweets will diminish greatly. And if you want to hear it or not, the sweets are what make us put on the inches in the wrong places more than anything else.
Crustless Pumpkin Pie
2 Envelopes Unflavored Gelatin
2 Tbsp. Cold Water
2 ¼ Cups Undiluted Low-Fat Evaporated Milk
1 ¾ Cup (16 Oz. Can) Solid Pack Pumpkin
Artificial Sweetener, Equivalent Of ½ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
In a large bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water to dissolve, set aside. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup low-fat evaporated milk to just boiling. Slowly stir hot milk into gelatin. Mix in remaining evaporated milk, pumpkin, sugar substitute, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla; set aside. Spray 10-inch glass pie dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour pie mixture into pie dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Cut into 10 equal slices
Yield: 10 servings
1 serving: 1/10th pie slice = 1 dairy & ½ starch
Low-Cal Whipped Topping
½ Cup Instant Nonfat Dry Milk Powder
2 Packets Sugar Substitute
½ Cup Ice Water
½ Tsp Vanilla
Chill a small bowl and beaters. Combine milk powder with ice water in bowl. Beat until stiff. Add sugar substitute and vanilla. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 cups (1 dollop=free)
