I think I’ve run into something here…
Look, I was trying to research this article on weight loss. I searched tons of websites, books and TV shows trying to find the real secret behind losing pounds the fastest and easiest way.
And in my search, I decided to stop by a local restaurant for a quick lunch. Nothing fancy, but definitely a step above fast food.
So I order the usual (hamburger, fries, soda) and before you can say “does my butt look big in these jeans?” my lunch is served.
But it’s not just lunch. Oh no…this is SO much more than lunch.
They bring me a plate the size of New Hampshire that is so stacked that the chips, relishes, and sprigs of parsley literally spill over the side.
The burger was so huge that even Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler couldn’t wrap his gigantic mouth around it, let alone my tiny orifice. And the fries? More like a long rope cut into 25 six-inch pieces and gilded.
And then the waiter says 6 words that almost knock me to the ground laughing…
“Can I get you something else?”
Yeah, how about a tow truck and 50 Red Cross shipping boxes? I’m about to feed Zimbabwe for a whole year.
I mean, it’s my people! Am I really supposed to eat this in one sitting? Maybe if I just came off a 10 day hunger strike I could possibly POSSIBLY save 2/3 of it. But there was no way I could make a dent in it before I left my seat.
And then it hits me. THIS is why America is so overweight.
It is not the food we are eating. It is not the fat that we are ingesting. It’s not a lack of exercise or too many carbs…
It is the QUANTITY that we are entering.
Let’s face it, we are Americans. We love everything big. Big cars, big houses, big TVs, Oprah Winfrey. It’s all part of our culture.
And that includes eating out. We want more than we can handle, just to see if we can handle it. So we fill ourselves with fools trying to clean our plate. This is why our waistlines expand and our life expectancies shorten.
So here’s a tip: When you sit down to eat, especially at a restaurant like this, stop before you’re done. Leave between one-half and one-third of your food untouched.
Take a doggie bag and take it home. Then give it to your dog. Or take it to lunch the next day. Or leave it in your fridge until it turns green.
The point is, don’t stuff your crop with a bunch of food your body doesn’t want, or need, in this session. Just eat 1/2 or 2/3 of what you have and push your plate away. It’s that easy.
Shoot, you might even splurge for dessert. But not that triple ripple brownie mountain that’s been pasted on the tabletop tent. You’re just looking for trouble. A dollop of sherbet will do just fine to satisfy that sweet tooth.
If you’re one of those people who eats out a lot, try this easy-to-implement technique for a few weeks and watch the scale slowly begin to reverse. You’ll be amazed at how much weight you can actually shed just by stepping away from the table a little sooner.