From its first year of publication, GH has urged
readers to live healthfully — to take "a walk before breakfast"
(1885), "eat more fish" (1932), and get "at least eight hours of
sleep" (1933). The tips here, whether from our early days or fresh from
the latest journals, have one thing in common: They are based on the best
expertise of their time.
More than half of Americans say they
want to lose weight, according to a recent survey of 1,057 adults conducted for
the International Food Information Council Foundation. Almost all say they are
trying to improve at least one aspect of their eating habits, and nearly nine
in 10 are trying to eat more fruits and veggies, the survey showed. But many of
these kinds of changes are easier said than done.
Almost all say they are trying to improve at least one aspect of their
eating habits, and nearly nine in 10 are trying to eat more fruits and veggies,
the survey showed. But many of these kinds of changes are easier said than
done.
Controlling your weight is not an impossible task. Balancing what you eat
with how much you exercise will help you maintain your new weight.
Here are 25 tips for losing weight
from registered dietitians Dawn Jackson Blatner, Elizabeth Ward, Bonnie
Taub-Dix and Keith Ayoob:
1. Set a realistic weight-loss
goals. One-half a pound to 2 pounds a week
is about right.
2. Keep track of what you consume. Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as
much weight as those who don't, research shows.
3. Motivate yourself. Get a pair of jeans or pants that are too tight and hang
them in the kitchen instead of the closet to keep yourself inspired.
4. Enlist the help of family and
friends. Dieters who have support from a
partner at home lose more weight than those who don't, studies show.
5. Move it to lose it. Research shows that people who do physical activities such
as walking or biking for two to four hours a week during weight-loss efforts
lose extra pounds.
6. Pay attention to portions. A 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish is about the
size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards; 1 teaspoon of butter or
margarine, a standard postage stamp; a cup of cold cereal, berries or popcorn,
a baseball; 4-inch pancake or waffle, the diameter of a CD.
7. Clean out your pantry and
refrigerator. Get rid of the foods that sabotage
your weight loss.
8. Create "a dinner deck."
This would include 10 favorite quick
and healthful dinners written on index cards. Each card should list the
ingredients for the recipe on one side and directions for making it on the
other.
9. Avoid hunger. Eat regular meals and snacks. Make sure you have some
protein foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans or chicken for most meals. Research
suggests that protein helps you feel full longer.
10. Keep produce on hand. Place a bowl of vegetables such as broccoli, snap peas,
cucumbers or carrot sticks in the refrigerator. You can eat them as a snack or
when preparing meals to take the edge off your hunger.
11. Stock up on "impulse
fruits." Keep things like grapes,
clementines, small apples, small bananas and pears around the house. These
foods are easy to eat without having to do much cutting and slicing.
12. Make some stealth changes. This will get everyone in the family eating healthier. Buy
low-fat 1% or skim milk, low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat cheese instead of
the full-fat versions. Use them in recipes to cut the fat and calories.
13. Cut out liquid calories. Eliminate soda and sugary drinks such as sweetened iced
tea, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages. Liven up the taste of water by
adding lemon, lime, cucumber or mint. Choose fat-free and 1% low-fat milk.
14. Practice the "Rule of
One." When it comes to high-calorie
foods, you won't go wrong if you allow one small treat a day. That might be one
cookie or a fun-size candy bar.
15. Pace, don't race. Force yourself to eat more slowly, and savor each bite.
16. Hydrate before meals. Drinking 16 ounces, or two glasses, of water before meals
may help you eat less.
17. Downsize plates, bowls, glasses,
silverware. Using smaller versions of your
serving ware will help you eat less food.
18. "After 8 is too late." Adopt the motto for snacks after dinner.
19. Buy a pedometer and get moving. Health experts recommend taking at least 10,000 steps a
day, which is roughly 4 to 5 miles, depending on your stride length.
20. Treat yourself occasionally. If your chocolate craving is getting to you, try diet
hot-chocolate packets. If you need a treat, go out for it, or buy small
prepackaged portions of ice cream bars. If you love chocolate, consider keeping
bite-size pieces in the freezer.
21. Dine at a table. Eat from a plate while seated at a table. Don't eat while
driving, lounging on the couch or standing at the fridge. At restaurants, ask
for a doggy bag at the beginning of the meal, and pack up half to take home.
Take one roll and ask your server to remove the bread basket from the table.
22. Eat out without pigging out. Figure out what you are going to eat in advance of going to
the restaurant. Order the salad dressing on the side. Restaurants usually put
about one-quarter cup (4 tablespoons) of dressing on a salad, which is often
too many calories. Best to stick with 1 to 2 tablespoons. Dip your fork into
the dressing and then into the salad.
23. Get plenty of sleep. Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases
levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you
feel full. Lack of sleep also plays havoc with your fat cells, recent research
showed. This can lead to overeating and weight gain.
24. Weigh yourself regularly. That's what successful dieters and those who manage to
maintain weight loss do. Some step on the scales once a week. Others do so
daily. Some find once a month is enough.
25. Reward yourself. When you meet your incremental weight loss goals, say
losing 5 pounds, treat yourself to something — but not food. Buy a CD or DVD
you've been wanting or go out to a movie with a friend.
