Hello my friends! So I've written a great deal about how I lost 100 pounds with calorie restricting and without GLP-1 drugs or weight loss surgery. And lemme just say, holidays are hard for me, especially in summer. Graduation open houses, Memorial Day parties, 4th of July BBQs, beach picnics, holiday cookouts. I'm hungry just thinking of them. Here's how I lost 100 pounds using diet grill recipes, low calorie picnic foods and summer weight loss tips.
* Eat a light, filling snack beforehand. Eat a tomato-turkey or tuna sandwich. .Here's the recipe: two slices light bread-- 70 calories plus 2 ounces of meat--60 calories, lots of fresh vegetables and a smear of spicy mustard--5 calories for the kick! Save enough calories so you can enjoy some of the foods, but don't arrive starved.
* Take two green tea, apple cider and/or garcinia cambogia tablets to curb hunger pangs. Coconut oil works well to curb hunger pangs too.
* Drink for a diet detox of water with lemon or apple cider vinegar. Or bring your own flavored seltzers. My personal favorites are Ice Mountain mixed berry and raspberry lime. I also like LaCroix cranberry and Target Good and Gather any flavor but the watermelon lime which tastes like watermelon rind, IMO.
* Avoid soda, punch and alcoholic beverages. Or choose red wine over cocktails or beer. Or make homemade sangria with dry red wine, diet grapefruit soda, sugar-free raspberry lemonade, fresh strawberries, lemons, limes and oranges,
* The Salad Bar Secret. Fill up on vegetables. Before you go for the entree, make a heaping salad. Serve or bring a salad bar as your dish to pass. Bring an assortment of cut vegetables like colored pepper strips, fresh mushroom, broccoli and cauliflower florets, matchstick radishes and carrots, shredded cabbage, chopped onions, pea pods, diced baby cucumbers and grape tomatoes. I also add chopped hard-boiled eggs, dried cranberries, pepitas and bacon bits. Not a fan of avocados myself, but bring them if you wish.
* Don't Fear the Cheese (yes cheese!): Old diet wives' tales shunned cheese. But certain kinds of cheese, like Parmesan, are good fat burners. I also like Laughing Cow Swiss light wedges, Babybel light rounds, and 50-calorie mozzarella cheese sticks. These all make for portable party and picnic snacking.
* Grill alternatives: Serve diet grill entrees at picnics. Bring your own and ask the host to grill it. Swap red meat for lean pork loin (140 calories) chicken breast, salmon, trout and tuna. Trade sausage or hot dogs for 70-calorie turkey dogs or 100-140 calorie Al Fresco chicken sausage links. Switch out burgers for homemade veggie burgers or large portobello mushrooms. Trim any fat and skip the bun. Eat breadless, gluten-free burgers.
* Baked over roasted, fried or deep-fried. Grilling is actually a diet-friendly way to cook. Marinate fresh pork or chicken breast in olive oil cooking spray, lemon juice, basil, rosemary, sage, fresh garlic for to-die-for low-cal souvlaki. Spray fish cooking olive oil or high-heat avocado oil and lime juice. Season with curry powder, wasabi, cumin and ginger.
* Swap baked chips for fried. Got a salty snacks craving? Pack a serving size of baked pita, corn or potato chips. Or make no-oil popcorn. Or munch on veggies and light dip.
* Desserts: Serve or bring Weight Watchers or Skinny Cow ice cream treats. Opt for fruit. Have a small sundae with a half-cup of vanilla ice cream and berries (about 200 calories). Nibble on dark chocolate (a Dr. Oz suggestion).
* Keep moving. Host the party so you're too busy to think about food all the time.
