Kick-Off

You walk into the restaurant or your best friend’s house just before kick-off, and of course, they will inevitably ask you what you’d like to drink or eat.  Don’t give in to pressure because you know you’ll be occupying the place for awhile, go for mineral or regular water with a slice of lemon.  If you must eat, seek out the veggie plate but keep the chips and salsa to a minimum.  Keep in mind this is kick-off: you get one kick with one ball, or in this case, with one bowl.  No refills. 

If you’re at a restaurant, don’t order an appetizer.  Most appetizer menus have the most fattening foods with the least nutritional value.  Take note of how many fried items are on the starter menu and stay away. 

Take Possession

By the end of the 1st quarter you should be ready to get your salad on.  In other words, it’s not yet time for a full course meal.  If you’re at a sports bar, order a salad with a simple oil and vinegar dressing added with a light hand or on the side.  Feel free to load your salad with fresh veggies and some protein, like an ounce of cheese or a hard-boiled egg.  If built right, this salad can get you to halftime.  House parties may have some fruit or salad to nosh on before half-time.  Take advantage, but take it easy.

2-Minute Warning

Have you begun to image that your water with lemon is a beer?  No worries, the commercials will keep you satisfied.  Okay, if you must, have a beer but make it a light beer.  But, if someone is making margaritas, see if there’s any frozen fruit and bananas so that you can have a healthy, non-alcoholic , frozen treat. It’ll taste like an alcoholic drink, but it can't make you tipsy and lose control.

Touchdown or Field Goal 

You've made it to half-time.  Now you can make a more conscious decision about what to eat as your meal.  If the party is potluck, you probably brought a healthy item and so you can eat that.  I can guarantee you that nachos, wings, and pizza will be on the table.  Go for the non-fried version of chicken wings if they are available.  Limit yourself to six wings to commemorate a touchdown.  Or, go for two field goals instead by eating half at the start of halftime and the rest as the 3rd quarter begins.  If they wings not already doused with the red stuff, leave most of the wing sauce off because it is loaded with sodium.  Be sure to balance your wings with ultra low-calorie and low-sodium celery.

A hamburger with no cheese and mustard may be as good as it gets as an alternative to wings.  Skip the chips and go easy on the bleu cheese, ranch dressing, and ketchup because they are all full of sodium too.  If no one fired up the grill for your burger, go for the cheese or veggie pizza.  But remember, pizza slices are like extra points: you can only get one or two.  Don’t overdo it.  
 
Game Over

If you’ve made it to the 4th quarter, you’re home free and should not be hungry at all.  If other people’s eating is too much of an influence, switch back to the veggie plate. Now, let’s huddle up Calorie Counters.  You've just battled the worst party menu of the year!  On the count of three, LOG YOUR CALORIES.  This is your end-game strategy.  By seeing how much you ate, whether bad or good, you’ll be prepared to get back on track Monday morning.


Your thoughts.... 

How will you stay healthy on Super Bowl Sunday?

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