Did you know the Superbowl is ranked second only to Thanksgiving for food festivities???  And the average Superbowl party lasts around 6 hours and a typical calorie consumption can top 4000 calories – or around 90 POINTS!  What?  I thought this was all about a football game and commercials!!  You’re telling me it’s all about the food?!  Well, in some instances, YES!  Did you also know Americans will consume over 50 million pounds of avacados for the traditional guacamole?  Holy guacamole!!

Here are some strategies and ideas (check here for yummy recipes, including a low point Margarita) to keep you successful and on your weight loss plan, while still enjoying the food, and be the victor no matter who wins the game!  (wow, the CHEESE factor is ON!!)

Strategies:

1)  Choose a smarter dipping vehicle!

Opt for low fat or baked chips rather than regular full fat chips.  Even better, dip with veggies for no extra POINTS!

2)  Choose a smarter dip!

Stay clear of sour cream varities, and stick with veggie dips and bean dips.  A delicious, healthy black bean dip is EASY and a snap to make.  Just toss whole cooked black beans, chopped green onions, diced green and red bell peppers, chopped cilantro, a little olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, and other spices into a bowl, mix together, and serve.  Healthy and delicious!

3)  Prepare traditional recipes with smart changes

For example, Seven Layer Dip calls for sour cream and refried beans.  Replace the sour cream with nonfat plain yogurt and the refried beans with fat free refried beans.  Add a layer of skinny guac (see appetizers) and top with shredded low fat cheese!  How about brownies?  Make diet coke cake (desserts) and make cupcakes!  Toss some mini chocolate chips into the batter and voila!

4)  Stop the grazing!

Get a plate, fill it up, eat it slowly, then STOP!  If you feel the urge to continue eating, remember asking yourself, “am I hungry?”  A physical hunger starts in the stomach, and emotional or environmental in the mind or mouth.  Take a look at your plate and think about all you’ve already eaten.   This will help you identify exactly how much you’ve been eating.  If food is in the area where the game is on, sit more than arm’s length away.  If you have to get up to get it you will be more aware.   Grazing can be huge in calories – mindless eating!

5)  Enjoy the reason – there’s a GAME!

Or in my case, a social event!  Whatever the reason you’re there, enjoy the game, commercials, and company!  If you find yourself thinking about food and you are not physically hungry, stop and realize why you’re there.  Sit and watch the game or talk to a friend, let conversation and fun take care of things!

6)  Don’t go to the party hungry – hunger is hazardous!

7)  Survey the food before you select

Take a look at everything and decide what you can pass up and what you cannot.  You don’t want to find yourself eating both!

8)  Use your 35 Weekly POINTS Allowance – that’s what it is there for!  Remember, “flexible restraint”

9)  Earn your Activity POINTS before and after the game!

10)  Have a GOAL for the day

Stay within your Daily POINTS?  Stay under your 35 WPA?  Go over by less than 10?  Whatever it is, have a goal and stick to it.

Bottom line, don’t use a special event as an excuse to make it a free for all.  We encounter special events frequently and it’s in our best interest to learn to handle them now so we can handle them in the future!  It’s just another Superbowl.  There will be one next year