Eating to Stay Lean for Life

A little departure this issue with a checklist for success at staying lean. I don't know about you, but I never got down to my usual summer skinniness this year and now, I'm confronting the long, cold months and fearing I'll have even more to shed next spring. So, here's a plan!

Nine Lessons From the Eternally Lean

1. KNOW HOW TO EAT OUT.

Lean people don't treat eating out as a free-for-all.

In a restaurant: Don't even look at a menu. Just order something you know is low in fat and calories: a bowl of soup (clear, not creamy), a turkey or ham sandwich (no cheese or mayo), and a salad (light dressing on the side); or broiled fish, a steamed vegetable, and a plain baked potato.

At the drive-through: Instead of a combo meal, order one or two plain burgers (no cheese). Other good bets: grilled-chicken sandwiches; baked potatoes stuffed with broccoli; garden salads with low-cal dressing.

When ordering pizza, ask for a thinner crust, more sauce, and half the cheese.

Chinese takeout: Find a place that offers steamed entrees or a place that will steam them without the greasy sauce if you ask. If they won't, order a big container of hot-and-sour soup and some steamed vegetables instead.

2. DON'T EAT ON AUTOPILOT.

Do not to eat anywhere but at a table, sitting on a chair. If you eat in front of the TV, in bed, or over the sink, you're probably shoveling it in without thinking.

3. KNOW WHAT A PORTION LOOKS LIKE.

Eating huge amounts of anything will eventually return you to the aisles of the local Big & Tall. Here's how to eyeball what a reasonable portion looks like:

• A half-cup pile of cooked pasta is the size of a tennis ball.
• An ounce of hard cheese is the size of a golf ball.
• A 4-ounce hamburger patty fits inside the lid of a quart-size mayonnaise jar.
• 3 ounces of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
• 1 cup of beans or breakfast cereal is the size of a baseball.
• An ounce of potato chips or pretzels will fit in both your open, cupped hands.
• An ounce of nuts will fit in the palm of one hand.
• 2 tablespoons of salad dressing will fill a shot glass.
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter is the size of a large, unshelled walnut.

4. KNOW THE FAT TRAPS.

There are a small handful of foods out there that are responsible for 80 percent of John Goodman. If you've been reading Men's Health for more than 10 minutes, you've heard this before, but it bears repeatingÉ

• BAD: Potato chips, candy or cookies
• GOOD!: Pretzels from the vending machine
• BAD: Bacon or sausage
• GOOD!: Canadian bacon
• BAD: Anything fried
• GOOD!: Anything broiled or grilled
• BAD: Whole milk, cheese
• GOOD!: 1 percent or skim milk, low-fat cheese
• BAD: Ice cream
• GOOD!: Nonfat frozen yogurt; frozen fruit bars
• BAD: Creamy salad dressings
• GOOD!: Fat-free dressings, or creamy dressings diluted with vinegar

5. CHOOSE FILLING FOODS.

That means foods that are high in fiber, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fiber makes you feel fuller longer, and helps you eat less throughout the day.

To work fiber into every meal, have whole-grain cereal for breakfast, or sprinkle some All-Bran over your Lucky Charms. Have sandwiches on whole-grain bread, stuffed with salad-bar vegetables like tomato, cucumber and peppers. At dinner, have a bowl of black-bean soup or chili, or a salad with vegetables and a tablespoon of low-cal dressing. Skip the potato salad, ranch dressing and bacon bits.

6. COUNT LIQUID CALORIES.

Beer, sodas, juices, and sports drinks are all high in calories. You can save mega calories by sticking with no-calorie drinks: water, seltzer, plain iced tea or diet soda.

7. KNOW WHEN YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH.

The good news is, you can Ñ as long as you learn to recognize when you've had enough to eat, as opposed to eating until the pizza box is empty. Learning to identify when you're satisfied really pays off in the long run. When youÕve had what is a normal serving or meal, wait twenty minutes. It takes that long for your brain and body to co-ordinate signals to let you know youÕve had enough.

8. DON'T USE FOOD TO FEEL BETTER.

When faced with a stressful situation, a thin person doesn't turn to food for solace. So when you're pissed, take a long run, do hill repeats or sprints, or put on a head banginÕ CD. Remember, eating a whole can of Pringles won't do jack to alleviate your stress.

9. DON'T GIVE IN TO A BINGE.

A night of overindulging can easily turn into an entire week of gluttony: You figure you've already blown it, so you might as well eat whatever the hell you want. This is what shrinks call "all or nothing" thinking, and it's been the downfall of many a fitness program.

And it won't help to try starving yourself the following day; you'll just end up hungry and judgment-impaired. There's only one way to get back on track after a gluttonous rampage. Wake up, have your usual breakfast, and continue as if nothing happened.

MMM-hmmm!