Superbowl (but not "or bust"!)

Today is the Superbowl. The Packers are not playing in it, so my interest lies more in watching the unique and hopefully entertaining TV commercials than in the results of the game. I'll be at a neighbor's house for a party, and am getting my head set for another event with food and drink at the center stage.  This mental preparation is another type of party planning, and has long term consequences far beyond the actual party.

The planning starts with breakfast. I want to have a good breakfast, with protein, fiber and fats, to make sure that I am never really hungry today. When I start with a hearty breakfast, the rest of the day is easier to control.  Today's breakfast was four of my protein pancakes topped with strawberry Greek yogurt, two eggs fried up, and three ounces of leftover pork loin, pan fried with a bit of olive oil.

Total numbers for the breakfast:
Calories:     604
Fat:             18.1g    (23%)
Sat fat:             5g
Chol:           491mg
Sodium:       778mg
Carb:         70.7g     (40%)
Fiber:           18g
Protein:        65g     (37%)

Now I need to consider tonight's party. What to eat? What to drink? I can't really bring a scale along (well, I could, but I won't) so I need to think of foods that are easily portioned. And I need to choose foods that won't trigger a binge. That means I need to avoid chips. I LOVE chips. Any chips. All chips. They are my one true food weakness, my Frito Lay kryptonite.

I am bringing chicken wings. Not with hot sauce or Buffalo-style. The hot sauces are all heavily salted, and I generally avoid salt in my diet. This recipe is full of garlic, onion, and black pepper, with a combination of butter and olive oil. Just before grilling them, I will hit them with some Penzey's 33rd and Galena salt-free spice blend.

I am also making two loaves of rye bread. It is hearty, thick, and chewy. It will fill me up faster and more rewarding than a handful of pretzels. It will also work well as a base for the one thing I purchased (pickled herring, sour cream style and vinegar style.) Yeah, I need some weird fish dish once in a while. 

I am bringing several large bottles of water, and two bottles of good beer. (Wisconsin's Sprecher Brewing Company's Seasonal Offering, Abbey Trippel.) That will be my way of limiting how my beer I will drink. If it's not there, it is harder to drink. Of course, the fact that their house and ours share a common lot line means that I still need to exercise control, but I can do it.  (Note:  I only drank one bottle.)

I know there will be snack items that I will eat that are not on the "generally approved" list. I will still log them. And I will enjoy them. It is okay to eat unhealthy foods occasionally, but I believe that you must accept ownership of the foods. You stomach does not know that you are at a Superbowl party, and that those calories "don't count". If you want success, you need to follow the path every day. Log everything. Think before eating. And eat only what you really want.