The Czarina is going to assume that you know that being overweight is bad for you. However, if you are like her, you also know that food = love and eating = pleasure. (Especially doughnuts. Aiiii, Krispy Kreme…how can you do this to the Czarina?) Unfortunately, food also equals calorie intake. So what’s a food lover to do when the object of his or her affection can be an immoderate paramour?

The following ideas for reducing your calorie intake without you noticing too much are born of trial and error. Some of them might not work for you. But then again, they might. Like any behavior change these strategies feel artificial at first, but based on my experience I now do these things out of habit. The current obesity epidemic is built upon a foundation of small, unhealthy, and negative changes. And it’s small but positive changes that will allow us to swing back towards moderation. And everything should be in moderation (including moderation), my dear Citizens.

Follow up:

Here are the Czarina’s ways to improve your eating without working too hard or getting too irritated:

1. Nutritionists always talk about portion sizes. The Czarina thought to herself, “yes, yes, I’m not eating an entire bowl of pasta at Maggiano’s.” I still did not get it. However, one visual aid helped the Czarina a lot and changed her perspective, literally.

If you have Grandma’s formal china, or your mother does, next time you are at your parents’ or in your closet, set out a placesetting. Take a look at the size of A) the coffee cups, B ) the dinner plate size, and C) the dessert plate size. Now place them next to the plates you have now.

My dinner plates, lunch plates, and coffee cups are noticeably larger than my grandmother’s. I’m going to bet yours are too.

As a result of this experiment, I started eating all my meals on my lunch plates. Psychological research has shown that visual cues are related to whether you feel full, regardless of your weight. Less food fits on a smaller plate. I have honestly not noticed the difference. My dinner plates are now used only for Thanksgiving or other gatherings in which many different items need to fit on one plate.

2. There is no such thing as “only” a bagel. The Czarina is always in a hurry and tends to eat in the car, as do many professionals with a busy lifestyle. Eating without paying attention tends to make a person consume more, by the way. But, historically, if she didn’t have time for a lunch break, she would get a bagel with light cream cheese at a bagel chain, and she believed she was having a portion controlled meal.

Well. Apparently, that was untrue.

You need to have a general sense of how many calories are in things, because we tend to think that dessert is bad and as long as we stay away from overt sugar, we’re doing the right thing. A plain bagel with 3 ounces of cream cheese (2 tablespoons) is 450 calories. If the Czarina is trying to lose weight, this “just a bagel” is one third of her caloric intake for the day. Be aware of the caloric content of what you grab on the fly, and make sure you read the number of servings in a pre-packaged container. For instance, a some snack bags of Doritos, while very low in sugar, can hold two or even 2.5 servings.

There are two ways to become familiar with caloric content of foods you frequently eat. One way is to look up your items one by one on a website like CalorieKing.com, and another is to download food journaling software like the one found at Keyoe.com. This is by far the most annoying thing I will tell you to do. But a food journal really does raise your awareness of what you put in your mouth. There simply is no other way to clearly identify the times of day that you are at risk for overeating, how many calories you’re truly eating, and your daily calorie intake. People always underestimate how much they’re eating. I like Keyoe’s software because the caloric content of thousands of foods are already programmed in so you don’t have to go looking for them, and you can add items you make at home frequently.

3. Share one dessert with your significant other when you are at a restaurant. Not only is this romantic, but it halves your calories.

4. Order one or two appetizers at a restaurant as your dinner instead of a large entree.

5. When you go to the grocery, do not even venture down the cookie aisle, and avoid the bakery except to buy your 7-grain bread. Buy smaller amounts of meat. One half pound of ground hamburger is enough for two people.

6. If your parents taught you to clean your plate, intentionally leave something on your plate. If you have been conditioning yourself to eat everything, even if you are not hungry, you are overeating.

7. Eat smaller meals more frequently - six meals a day of 200-300 calories will prevent the low blood sugar swings that can make you eat more than is advisable in one sitting.

8. Replace your breakfast eggs with good quality egg whites. The Czar and Czarina prefer the brand “Eggology". That way you get the protein you need but you will reduce the calories.

9. Plan menus for the week prior to grocery shopping, and stick to your list. If you go with a list, you are less likely to buy impulsively. Keep your hands off anything edible near the cash registers: pretend these things don’t exist.

10. If you are going out for the majority of the day or are going to be in several meetings, pack a lower calorie meal bar in your purse or briefcase to avoid the blood sugar swings that will make you eat out of the vending machine or run to a nearby fast food place. Make sure you check the calorie content of these as you try several kinds to see what you like – the calories can range from 100 to 250! The Czarina prefers Pria bars, as they are in the 110 calorie ballpark and are tasty. Do not buy these at your local grocery stores – you can save substantial money by buying them through the Internet at bodybuilding sites. The Czarina uses A1 Nutrition.

Hopefully, some of these strategies will work for you, and it will become more apparent how small changes can make a large difference in your health. The Czarina was amazed at the large gulf between what she thought she was doing and reality.

Salud, and good luck!

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Lots of statistics about obesity and the causes of it can be found through the American Heart Association here.

If you are interested in the economics associated with obesity and nutrition, check out this presentation by an economist specializing in health care costs associated with obesity.