First and 10
Ten
totally terrific tailgating tips
With the cool, crisp
temperatures of fall here, many
people have been enjoying going to
see America's new favorite pastime,
football. And a time-honored
tradition of the gridiron experience
is the pre-game tailgate: a fun,
often raucous bonding experience for
fans everywhere.
Of course, the first
tendency of anyone who's losing
weight is to think, "Tailgating?
Isn't there a ton of food and drinks
at those things? Thanks, but no
thanks."
But don't forget that
just because you're on the
NutriSystem program doesn't mean
that you have to hole yourself up
and never have any fun. On the
contrary: we're teaching you how to
make wise food decisions for
life…and part of life is, well, to
have fun.
So we thought that
we'd offer you some tailgating tips
in case you do want to have a good
time before your kids' high-school
game, with your old college pals at
your alma mater's big rivalry game,
or at the stadium of your area's NFL
or Arena League team.
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10 Tailgating Tips To
Help You Score
- A staple at
college and pro
tailgates is beer…and
lots of it. Prepare
accordingly by
bringing a several
bottles of water for
yourself (enough that
would fit in a
cooler). Or, you could
fill a jug with diet
soda or iced tea to
sip all day long. That
way, you can avoid the
alcohol and you'll
curb your appetite.
(Just make sure
there's a porta-potty
nearby!)
- Keep active: stand
up instead of sitting
on a chair or a car's
tailgate. Dance, throw
a football around, or
simply walk around the
parking lot checking
out other fans'
antics. The free
entertainment is
priceless!
- Plan your game day
meals wisely. Is the
game close to home or
far away? Is it a day
game or a night game?
Don't get caught
short, meal-wise. If
it's a night game, for
example, plan to eat
all of your
NutriSystem meals a
little later in the
day so you're not
hungry later. Or if
it's an afternoon
game, eat your lunch
right before you leave
for the game to
minimize how much you
eat at the tailgate.
- Speaking of which,
if you're eating
anything at the
tailgate, try to
finish right before
going into the
stadium. That way, you
can go the entire game
(and after) without
buying stadium food—a
sure diet derailer.
- Take a veggie tray
to the pre-game
festivities to ensure
that you have
something healthy to
snack on. It will give
your hands and mouth
something to do, and
no one ever gained
weight on carrot
sticks and celery.
- You can also bring
NutriSystem snacks
(such as soy chips or
caramel popcorn) with
you. They're a snap to
clean up and can also
be kept handy if you
get hungry during the
game.
- Be clever and
utilize tricks like
brushing your teeth
right before you head
to the game, or
putting on lipstick
that you don't want to
smear by eating.
Unlike others who may
be fumbling around
you, you'll stay fresh
and feel great all day
long!
- For all you
northerners out there,
or anyone who's headed
to a game on a day
that's even remotely
chilly, wear gloves.
Have you ever tried to
grab a handful of
cheese puffs with a
new pair of wool
mittens on?
- Be smart and
recognize when the
party's over. Know
when it's time to go
and leave something
noticeable tied or
attached to your
car—and make it
unique. If you're in a
parking lot for a
Raiders game and think
that your silver and
black Raiders flag is
going to be unique in
a sea of 60,000
Raiders fans' cars,
think again. Try
something like a red
balloon or an American
flag: anything with
non-team colors.
- Amid a sea of
chaos and unbridled
enthusiasm, keep your
cool about your diet.
Sure, you can enjoy
one brat or a burger
at the tailgate (or
better yet, why not
bring along your
NutriSystem burger or
turkey hot dog along
with a whole wheat
bun?) but stay in
control. The party
will be over soon
enough…you have to
live with your body
forever.
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