Weight Loss Tips
1. Set a realistic weight-loss goal. Most experts
recommend aiming for half a pound to 2 pounds a week.
2. Keep track. 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. Get help from 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. Register in Stiletto Fitness for two to four hours a
week during weight-loss efforts lose an extra 3 to 5 pounds over a year.
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. Some 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. That 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, and sports drinks.
Liven up the taste of water by adding lemon, lime, cucumber or mint. Choose skim
and 1% 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-sized 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
naturally.
18. Adopt the motto "after 8 is too late" for snacks
after dinner.
19. Buy a pedometer. 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.
22. Dine out without pigging out. Figure out what
you are going to eat in advance. Get 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. The effects may 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.
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.
Source: USA TODAY research; nutrition bloggers:
registered dietitians Dawn Jackson Blatner, Elizabeth Ward, Bonnie Taub-Dix and
Keith Ayoob
recommend aiming for half a pound to 2 pounds a week.
2. Keep track. 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. Get help from 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. Register in Stiletto Fitness for two to four hours a
week during weight-loss efforts lose an extra 3 to 5 pounds over a year.
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. Some 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. That 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, and sports drinks.
Liven up the taste of water by adding lemon, lime, cucumber or mint. Choose skim
and 1% 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-sized 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
naturally.
18. Adopt the motto "after 8 is too late" for snacks
after dinner.
19. Buy a pedometer. 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.
22. Dine out without pigging out. Figure out what
you are going to eat in advance. Get 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. The effects may 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.
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.
Source: USA TODAY research; nutrition bloggers:
registered dietitians Dawn Jackson Blatner, Elizabeth Ward, Bonnie Taub-Dix and
Keith Ayoob