How can I go to Panera and not go off my diet?

Panera is easy but some restaurants take a good bit of effort.

Most important thing is to have a great time. It’s so amazing, that if you’re having a really good time, involved in a really interesting conversation, it’s MUCH easier to eat less. You become like one of those skinny people at Christmas gatherings who runs around talking to everyone and loses their plate! I would have *never* lost sight of my plate before. Heh.

Second — yes plan it out, use their nutrition calculator, eat like you eat. They’ll bend over backwards at Panera or almost any other place — even Waffle House! — if you explain what you’re doing and why they want to help you.

Use their menu of a list of the foods they have. Then just ask for whatever combination you want. The grilled chicken off one salad and the strawberries off another. They’re fine with that.

Related articles

• ‘A Lot of Carbs’: Panera Bread CEO Learns to Live on $4.50 a Day (blogs.wsj.com)
• Panera Bread Company (macysarbacker.com)
• Hey Panera! Why No Pictures? (anintrovertmind.com)
• Panera Bread founder lives on food stamps for a week. (rawstory.com)

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More things to do on snow days

Thought I’d include my actual exercise for today as, hopefully, some kind of example that you can be snowed in and still have a great workout.  So here’s 5 more things to add to yesterday’s list of possibilities.

6. Shovel the snow.  Note: this is a major source of sudden onset heart issues in certain populations of heart-issue and/or very sedentary people, so stop every few minutes for a nice little rest, it’s harder than it feels like at first, you’re lifting several hundred pounds per hour).

7. Go sledding.   Hopefully a steep hill that’s somewhat elaborately difficult to climb.

8. Walk in the cleared part of the road, if it’s safe to do so.

9. If you can, find some nearby indoor place you can walk and climb stairs in.

10. Be in Marine Corps basic training for a day — do the daily dozen.  They sound easy, but we’ve all seen how much more buff kids look when they come home from basic training.

Above all, find the beauty in the climate you’re in.  Get outside at least briefly every day just to mosey around.  Notice what the trees, plants, bushes, and shrubs are doing.  If you look closely you’ll see signs of the coming spring even in the middle of winter.  Notice how pretty certain things look covered with snow and ice.

What to do to rest and cool down after a winter workout?  My favorite is a cup of hot chocolate protein shake (substitute your own beverage, of course) and a nice long sit with the newly arrived seed an plant catalogs.  And of course the glorious REI outdoor catalog. Think about what you’re going to do outdoors when the weather starts to break — it’s only 70 to 100 days away, depending on where you live.

Related articles

• snow day (julieloveshome.wordpress.com)
• Let It Snow (lulumusing.wordpress.com)

Enjoying the feast without the over feed

Ever wish you could find the handle on your eating and be able to enjoy a huge spread of food without overeating?

You definitely can.

Christmas is not about food. Take a little less than you feel is an adequate amount, the go have wonderful conversations. Avoid foods that are not special to you, and avoid getting bogged down with especially large servings. Most of all, realize you will be able to eat LOTS more times.

Be the way you expect you will be when you’re already at your weight goal.