Bet You Can't Eat Just One

Dearest Readers and Subscribers:

Last week at this time, eight days after Hurricane Ike, we still didn't have power, so last Sunday (landline restored and running computer on a generator) I decided to post a wonderful written memory by our publicist Dr. Larry Fitzgerald who also happens to be a Santa Claus model. If you missed it, be sure to read his Chirstmas "firsts" story.

Also, this past week, all of the other co-authors gave great tips to avoid overeating for the holidays. I'll share a few and then we'll be on to our topic for this week of the "scrumptious extras" we serve during the holidays, with a few recipes, too! I'll share that tomorrow.

Following are some of the things I really do. So far, I'm only 23 pounds over my pre-marriage weight, after 41 years of marriage. It hasn't come easy, but here are some of my suggestions:

To avoid overeating during December and Jan-Nov, too, I try to only eat when I'm hungry and refrain when I'm not. Get in the habit of asking yourself a simple question, "Am I really hungry?" Amazing how that question will prompt an honest answer. OK, so I answered myself that I'm hungry, then I ask myself a second question, "Are you really hungry or are you just thirsty?" Some of the time, my answer is, "Thirsty." Then I drink a big glass of water which helps boost energy level. Hint: It's a good idea to keep these conversations with self to yourself.

One other tip, keep lo-cal salty and any sweet treats (your favorites) on hand for cravings. For salty, I keep V-8 juice, pretzels and celery sticks to fill with pimento cheese spread. When my sweet tooth hollers, I'm ready with miniature marshmallows (a few of those endangers a sweet craving), sugar free hot chocolate mix, and any kind of other sweet. Here's the trick, sit down and really savor the flavors. Tell yourself "One is enough."

Can you make one pretzel last five minutes, one of those small ones? When satisfying a craving, eat it very slowly, tasting every grain of salt on the pretzel, or try and distinguish the flavors in the V-8? A lot of the time, we're not in the moment with the food, we're in the next room wrapping presents, or going over our to-do list, so we don't really satisfy the craving or enjoy the lovely gift of flavor we've craved. We gooble one or two down without thinking or being in the moment, then we try another and another to tame that craving. It can be tamed with one small portion if we savor the flavors.

The same with sweets. Make your sweet treat a real treat. Sit down. Put your feet up. You deserve a five minute break with a mini Snickers or an M & M candy (OK, you can have 5). Eat slowly. Enjoy, and all the while talk to yourself saying, "One is enough."

Let us know how you do this fall and if any of these tips help. Passyours on to us, too. Hey we're only good part of the time, we still overeat at others....Cathy