Week VI: Half Way There

We have arrived at the mid-point of our twelve-week diet program. It is time for assessment and an intermission. This week your assignment is to divide your portions in two and then wait a full ten minutes before eating or drinking the second half of your meal. Yes, the soup will get cold. The ice cream will melt. Our intention is to reduce portion size for good. You may elect to eat all or just a small amount of the second half, but your aim during the intermission is to confirm that you've already eaten enough. Instead of just cleaving the single plated portion in two, dirty an extra plate right from the start. Set the second half aside for later. It makes the decision to eat the remainder of your meal clear and dramatic.

Thus far the Never on Sunday diet has targeted your awareness but has not demanded any change in what you eat. The desired effect is a shift in attitude so that you are prepared for permanent behavioral change. The remaining six diet challenges test your control and ask you to alter your food choices. Advanced planning and preparation will be necessary in order to assure your success. Modifications to this week's challenge, also made in advance, will likewise sustain your sense of control.

Make it Real:
When rushed at meal time, you can abbreviate the intermission to five minutes instead of ten.

Having a to-go container at the table, before you sit down, is a smart addition.

Breakfast foods don't divide or travel well. You may want to allot yourself only half a bowl of cereal or half a cup of coffee at a time.

Food For Thought:
After the ten-minute intermission, once the dish gets cold, do you finish the entire portion anyway?

Do you cheat by giving yourself an extra large portion at the start so that eating half still assures you a lot of food?

Have you discovered a growing sense of control? Are you eager to apply your skills toward diet modifications that might reduce calorie consumption?

Does the addition of exercise now appeal?