Shine by Star Jones Reynolds Read Free Book Online Page A

elsewhere in the world” mentality.
    Number two truth: When it comes to hunger, most of us are driven by what we see, not by how we feel. If too much food is placed in front of us, we’ll come to perceive that it’s a normal amount. If we get ourselves used to portion control, the smaller amount will seem far more normal than the whole, gigantic portion.
    Number three truth: Controlled portions = discipline and true long-term weight loss; healthy living requires discipline, not compromise.
    Star Tips
If you’re eating in a restaurant, ask for a doggie bag and silver foil right up front; when your food arrives, wrap half the amount and put it into the doggie bag right away. You can always take some out if you still feel hungry after eating what’s on your plate—but I bet you won’t. Now you have a nice lunch for the next day!
Avoid buffets. It’s almost impossible to practice portion control in an all-you-can-eat situation.
For a while, until you’re used to eating less, prepare portion-controlled meals in advance and then freeze them. You won’t be tempted to go for that second helping if there is no second helping.
Marinate foods in spices for flavor; foods that taste richly delicious (in flavor, not fat) make you feel more satisfied than bland offerings.
Serve yourself (and your partner or guests) on individual plates, rather than in family-style, I’m-begging-you-to-take-seconds bowls.
Never eat out of a bag or carton. Not even Chinese food.
Walk on by the door of a restaurant that promises supersize or jumbo portions. That restaurant doesn’t love you.
    ----
    F ast-food health? Nope—but maybe healthier. Live in the truth: fun is fast food; health is trail mix or a piece of fruit.
    Still, I have to be fair here: some fast-food, supersize-portion restaurants, have seen the light, not to mention the loss of profit from more health-conscious customers. McDonald’s, for example, started to feature “premium salads” consisting of warm breast of chicken—grilled or crispy (go grilled), Cobb salads, and fresh vegetables. Most restaurants in the Wendy’s chain quickly followed suit with fresh fruit bowls, low-fat yogurts for dipping—and an option to switch a mandarin orange cup for the fries that usually come with a kid’s meal. So, some fast-food restaurants do offer “healthier” choices.
    But when I want to cheat, I cheat consciously. No piece of fruit’s going to make me happy when I’m absolutely “Jonesing” for Micky D’s. So, I confess, I occasionally have the burger—with a difference. I settle for the kiddie-meal cheeseburger and the kiddie-meal fries (the best French fries ever created in the history of the world but the most fattening in the universe—they must fry them in sugar and salt and everything that makes my life happy). I substitute a bottle of water for a soft drink. Now I’m satisfied. I’ve had my Micky D fix, but I’ve been smart enough not to do what I used to do: get the double quarter-pounder with cheese, extra mayo on the side.
----
Eat slowly. It takes about twenty minutes for your stomach to tell your brain you’re full.
Sit down at a table while eating; pay attention to your food, tasting every bite. It’s too easy to gorge mindlessly on French fries when you’re lying in bed watching a Lifetime Original Movie.
    I want to tell you something. Suppose, one day, you pig out on a double- or triple-size portion. Suppose you fall madly in love with a hot fudge sundae. Nobiggie. When it’s over, it’s over—put a lid on the guilt feelings. You didn’t, as a friend of mine says, ruin your life or sell your baby on the black market. Get over it. Start back with your portion control the very next day. It’s also helpful to try to figure out what contributed to your temporary lapse: Did you eat out of the carton? Did you have a really bad day? Were you stranded without food in the Sahara Desert for a week? What everrr… it’s not the end of opting for portion