Don’t let Superbowl Sunday wreck your season
For football fans, tonight is about New England vs. New York.
I suppose some will be waiting with great anticipation for Madonna’s halftime performance.
Others will be focused on the very silly, very expensive Super Bowl advertisements.
Another competition on Super Bowl Sunday won’t get nearly as much press: your will power versus the smorgasbord of unhealthy foods that will likely await you this evening.
Just stay focused on your goals and you will be fine.
The Battle in the Trenches
Wings vs. pizza. Nachos vs. potato chips. Seven-layer dip vs. ranch.
If you have been trying to trim that holiday weight-gain, there are no winners here. If you are on the OurSkinny Weight Loss Program, these are all not nows.
The problem is that these foods are loaded with carbohydrates and the same saturated fats that you’ve spent all week avoiding. It’s Sunday. Your defenses are down and then, BAM, smorgasbord.
You have to believe people! You have to put yourselves in a position to win! We believe in you, but that doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t believe in you.
The Insulin Response
As Dr. Bradley has put it, bad things happen when you super-indulge in party foods:
“The problem is that those carbohydrates become sugar, trigging an insulin response. That’s where we get into trouble.”
Your body releases a hormone called insulin to help it process blood sugar. The bad news is that insulin hangs around in the blood stream long after the work of digestion is done.
Ever wonder why you are hungry just hours after a huge meal? Dr. Bradley says you can blame that on insulin: “Insulin makes us hungry and directs our body to store more fat—a terrible, vicious cycle.”
The Super Bowl telecast is four hours long, from six to ten tonight. That means that if you hit the training table just as you arrive, you might be hungry again before the fourth quarter. Even worse: you’ll be craving carbs on Monday morning, unless you play some defense.
Defense, Defense, Defense
In order to give you a Manning’s chance on Sunday, I am going to re-purpose some of our team’s quick tips for party eating. They include:
- Take a walk before you head out to the party. Go… NOW!
- Bring your own dish. That way, you know there will be at least one healthy choice.
- Eat an OurSkinny Mini Meal before you leave home. Heck, bring one with you.
- Don’t seat yourself directly in front of the bowl of Cheetoes. They win every time.
- Don’t forget to drink water! It’s filling and helps you maintain a healthy metabolism.
- Portion control: choose a smaller-sized plate to eat from – less room for error.
- Have the burger (lean beef please) and avoid the bun.
- Take every opportunity to move around – don’t like Madonna? Take a walk at halftime.
Don’t Ever, Ever, Give Up
Our somewhat football-obsessed blogger extraordinaire, Katie R., will doubtless be focused on the game tonight, despite the fact that her beloved Packers’ won’t be defending their crown. 
Nevertheless, I will remind you of one of her favorite quotations from the legendary football coach, Bud Wilkinson:
“We compete, not so much against an opponent, but against ourselves. The real test is this: did I make my best effort?”
Make your best effort and make healthy choices as you root for your favorite team. Enjoy the commercials. Enjoy your friends and family. And remember that, no matter what, on Monday the Team at Ourlife will be here for you, win or lose.