All You Can or All You Should?

Hi Power Girl,

Sometimes the question is not “Can I?,” but ” Should I?”

I’m referring to All You Can Eat restaurants.  Of course you CAN eat all you possibly can and be SO FULL that you ROLL out of the restaurant, but SHOULD you?

I love All You Can Eat restaurants when I first step through the doors, but by the time I’m done, I can honestly say that I don’t like them much.

I don’t like the feeling of being over stuffed.  Do you?

Have you ever been to an All You Can Eat and just felt sick to your stomach afterward?

Well Power Girl – NEVER AGAIN!

I have learned THE SECRET of how to enjoy an All You Can Eat restaurant AND still feel good at the end.

With my SECRET (which nobody knows, by the way) you can ENJOY every bite AND still FEEL GOOD after, no STUFFED feeling an NO GUILT!

My SECRET is all about CHOICES.

Let’s start right from the beginning.

First of all, WATER is your best choice for drink.  Remember you body is made of 70% water so you need it anyways.

You don’t need your calories or carbs (sugar) from your drink.

You’ll have plenty to choose from as soon as you line up at the food buffet.

If you don’t like water, ask for some lemon or lime to give it a refreshing twist.

My mom has got me hooked on herbal teas.  Try this and you will be off to a good start.

Next…NO BREAD!  You don’t need any.

There aren’t many nutrients you will get from it anyways (unless it is a wholegrain) and besides, there will be MANY other carb choices available for you to choose from.

BEFORE choosing anything take a LOOK at everything.  Decide FIRST what appeals to you and then start putting food on your plate.

This way you don’t fill up on some things and end up being too full for others.

I would suggest to start with VEGGIES.

This way you will start to fill up on healthy, fibre and nutrient-rich foods.

You will also be less likely to overdo it on the higher calorie choices of the mains.

Stay away from anything FRIED, even if what is fried are the veggies!

There are a couple of reasons for this.  First of all, those deep fried foods are full of harmful free radicals (which cause cancer!) and toxic fats that are just awful for your Power Girl body.

Second is that these foods are so high in EMPTY calories (calories that make you gain weight, but don’t give you any nutrients at all)

Okay, so we have eliminated bread and fried foods.  We know to start with veggies and now we are already a bit full.

What is next?

The MAIN course.

Remember decide in ADVANCE what appeals to you.

You DON’T have to try EVERYTHING especially dishes made with lots of CREAMY sauces.

As far as serving size goes it does depend on your height, weight, activity level and goals of weight-loss, weight-gain or weight-maintenance.

Here are some guidelines.

Your PROTEIN choice should be the size of your HAND.

Your CARB choice the size of your FIST.

Since you’re at an All You Can Eat, double these if you need to but KNOW when to say ENOUGH!

Now for the FINAL trip to the buffet…Dessert.

Okay just remember that EVERYTHING at this station contains sugar which will likely end up being STORED in your body at this point, and probably as fat.

STUFFING ALERT!!!

You have ALREADY had a TON of calories and are probably NOT hungry, you just want to TASTE the yummy desserts, right?

Which dessert appeals to you the MOST?

Take a SMALL piece of it.

Does more than one call your name?  Here is what I do.

I go up with my sister Brooklyn and my mom, and we put our selections on one plate and share.

This way we get a taste of a few things and don’t feel stuffed or guilty!

Now you’re DONE, you tasted LOTS of good foods and still FEEL GREAT.

If the people around you keep eating, let them, you’re a Power Girl and let’s face it ….you’re different.

You eat different, you exercise different, you think different, and you LOOK and FEEL different.

Come to think of it….. DIFFERENT IS GOOD!  :-)

Being a Power Girl means that you CHOOSE to get your body moving and fuel that body with good choices, EVEN when you are eating out.

Remember just because you are at an All You Can Eat, doesn’t mean Eat All You Can!!

I would rather you adopt an All You Can TASTE philosophy.

If you really want to try quite a few things take a tablespoon serving size so that you can feel satisfied that you tasted it, AND leave feeling satisfied that you took care of your Power Girl body.

Well Power Girl, I’m off to an All You Can Taste Sushi restaurant.  I already know what I will choose to taste.

I’ll taste 1 piece of 8 or 10 of my favourite maki and load up on the veggies so I don’t have room for more than my Power Girl Body needs.

Bon Appetit!

Your friend and coach,

 

Jessy Lipke

 

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