Do you eat BLTs every day? No, I don’t mean those savory bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwiches, but something a client of mine told me she learned about in Weight Watchers: bites, licks and tastes.

Think about a typical day and where these little extra bits of food might come from: scraps and leftovers from your kids’ plates, a sample Frappuccino or cookie at Starbucks, half a muffin from the Dunkin Donuts your coworker brought to work, two pieces of chocolate from your cubicle mate. You get the picture…these seemingly unimportant pop-em-in-your-mouth occurrences (that some of us come into contact with on a daily basis) can add an extra 300 or so calories to our days. Unfortunately these tasty BLTs can throw off our best efforts at weight loss and energy gain.

If you’re feeling frustrated with a weight-loss plateau or not seeing the weight come off as quickly and easily as you’d like, let’s take a look at some of the common ways calories can pile up:

  • Licking peanut butter off a spoon after making your kid’s lunch=35 calories
  • Sampling your dinner as you’re making it=75 calories
  • Finishing off your daughter’s dinner=75 calories
  • 2 Hershey kisses from your coworker’s candy jar=45 calories
  • A sample muffin at Starbucks=45 calories
  • Sampling cookie dough from a batch of homemade cookies=75 calories

How to avoid these temptations at seemingly every turn? First of all, know that you won’t always be able to resist them, and that’s okay! But being aware of these sneaky saboteurs is part of mindful eating, and may help you say no more often. 

I love these tips, some adapted from idealshape.com:

  • Tie a ribbon or rubber band around your wrist or finger to remind you to have BLTs.
  • Keep paper towels on the counter within arm’s reach so you can quickly wipe food off the spoons and knives you’re cooking with so you aren’t tempted to lick!
  • Use Post-Its and post your goals and the words “NO BLTS” in your kitchen and in an office drawer.
  • Make a sign above the sink that says “WASH ME” reminding you to hurry and rinse off your dishes and utensils before licking them clean!
  • Chew gum when cooking or when you think you might be faced with a BLT moment.

Adding those BLTs to your food journal or My Fitness Pal also keeps you more accountable. Notice if you skip them, do you miss them? Does weight come off a bit more easily?

Feel free to let me know how it’s going, and as always, be kind to yourself. 

Source: idealshape.com

DON'T WAIT TO
start eating healthy
Enter your name and email to
GET YOUR FREE MOOD-BOOSTING GROCERY LIST.

Check your email to download the grocery list!