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Weight Loss Guidelines

Let Go of the Fantasy of Painless Weight Loss

Diet programs on TV or magazines that claim easy, painless weight loss usually fail in the long run. And the reason is simple, losing weight is not easy – it takes real work.

And consistency: Studies show that people who consumed the same amount of food throughout the week or year were more likely to maintain their weight (within a 5-lb. range) than those people who dieted strictly on weekdays and non-holiday times.

And keeping it off is not easy: your metabolism slows down as you age with the biggest change occurring around 40. So you must either eat less or exercise more to avoid gaining weight. And your metabolism will continue slowing down over the years, so life requires you to update your food and exercise plan.

Track Your Weight and Eating Habits

Studies have found that those people who weigh themselves regularly do better. Paying attention regularly alerts you if you gain weight, so you can adjust your strategy to prevent gaining more. Remember, you’ve got to become an expert in knowing of your body’s strengths and weaknesses.

Develop a Winning Plan

Victory requires making a commitment to permanently altering your weight, such as making significant lifestyle adjustments over the long term. Some people want the freedom to do it by themselves, while others enjoy having a group support system (weight watchers, etc.). Some studies (The New England Journal of Medicine, Oct. 12, 2006; vol 355: pp 1563-1571. National Weight Control Registry) have shown that people who meet regularly with others do better.

Set Realistic Weight Loss Goals

Unrealistic weight loss objectives are not productive and can trigger failure. Your short-term goal at the beginning might be getting through the day without eating too much.

Most diet experts suggest goals of losing five to 10 percent [of your beginning weight] are achievable. So if you weigh 200 pounds, a reachable target would be to lose 10 to 20 pounds, which breaks down to losing 1 to 2 pounds a week to stay healthy. Losing weight slowly provides more time to adopt new lifestyle behaviors, like eating less and exercising more.

If you need to lose 25 pounds, it means embarking on at least a three-month program. Fifty pounds? Allow for at least six months. Also, set up interim goals to see progress and maintain motivation. If you’re long-range goal is losing 20 pounds, celebrate your losing the first 5 pounds, then 10 pounds, etc.

Eat Breakfast Every Day

Trying to lost weight by cutting down on the number of meals is a poor strategy. Research indicates that breakfast eaters are leaner than those who skip the morning meal. Skipping meals usually causes you to be starving later and wind up overeating. Starting the day with breakfast can help prevent that. Research has found that the calories you eat earlier in the day help you eat less at night, which is a good plan since you most likely won't be active after an evening meal.

Some others think jogging first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is a good idea. However it turns out that the easiest way your body can get energy is not breaking down fat, but to breakdown muscle mass by converting amino acids (the nuts and bolts of muscle) to glucose, (the sugar that powers physical activity). So they’re breaking down the very tissue one would want to preserve and develop. (See Frequent Meals Are the Answer further down.)

Start Meals with Soup or Salad

People tend to eat less when they begin with a low calorie soup or salad. Begin lunch and dinner with a salad or broth-based soup (no creamed soups) that allows you to fill up first on a large amount of low-calorie food. This practice reduces some of the higher-calorie foods you'll eat for the entree.

By the way, what dressing are you putting on that salad? A typical creamy dressing of just two teaspoons packs a whopping 13 grams of fat. (Have you ever tried to eat a salad with just two teaspoons of dressing?) Don’t sabotage your efforts, read labels. (See Benefits of Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing.)

And what are you putting into that salad?  Here’s some facts to consider. Lettuce: iceberg is cheap but has no helpful nutrients; dark leaf greens (romaine, red leaf) contain betacarotene (vitamin A); spinach, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens have lutein (vitamin A); watercress has a variety of nutrients (iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamins A and C). Celery Stalks: at just 6 calories per stalk, chopped celery adds extra water and fiber content at a very cheap price. Garbanzo Beans: just one cup of these tasty beans yields 4 grams of protein; 3/4 cup yields 11 grams of protein. Shredded cheese: 1/4 cup yields 7 grams of protein. Also, forget the croutons, they’re loaded with carbohydrates that raise blood sugar, add weight and are nutritional zeros.

Eat a Variety of Foods

By eating small amounts of different tasting foods, you can enjoy a sense of fullness without a lot of calories. And not all carbohydrates are bad; enjoy beans, brown rice, fruits and vegetables, which are low in calories and provide a host of nutrients and fiber. By the way, the combination of rice and beans contains a blend of amino acids that form a complete protein.

Read Labels Carefully

Nutritional information labels list calories; grams of fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and sugar. So if the label says a serving is 1 ounce and you eat 2 or 3 ounces, double or triple the nutrition information numbers.

Be careful with energy bars, look for high protein, low carbohydrate and low sugar. (Atkins® Advantage and EAS AvantEdge® bars have 19 grams of protein, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of Trans Fat, 10 grams of dietary fiber, 19 vitamins and minerals and only 1 gram of sugar!)

You can’t assume a package contains a single serving just because the label lists calorie and nutrient information for one serving. Look for the number of servings per package (it’s listed directly under the serving size) to determine the true calorie count.

Quick Meals with Calorie Control

When you’re rushed and can’t cook your own meal, the low-cal healthy frozen dinner (Healthy Choice®, etc.) wins because it gives you portion control. You buy one serving, eat one serving, and you're done.

Go High Fiber, High Water

Eat foods that have a high water and/or high fiber content and are low in fat (watery vegetables, oatmeal, etc.). Drink plenty of water (adding a pinch of lemon or lime juice adds flavor) as this promotes healthy-looking skin and strengthens bowel action (constipation retains weight). Researchers at the University of North Carolina found people who consume 7 cups of water daily eat 200 fewer calories.

Proper Chewing

Eating slowly increases the pleasure you get from the food and helps you get you in touch with feelings of fullness. “Wolfing” down a meal doesn’t give your brain time to get the signal that you have eaten, and as a result, you eat more because you don’t register that you’ve already satisfied your hunger. Chewing food thoroughly (try 15 chews per mouthful) increases the flow of digestive enzymes to derive more value from the food, lowers intestinal gas, besides providing more stomach sensation of fullness.

Put your sandwich or fork down between bites, and pay attention to the taste and texture of your food while consciously trying to eat more slowly. Read a magazine, etc., if you’re eating alone to slow down your pace. Don’t watch TV and shovel down your meal!

Eat Your Calories, Don't Drink Them

Research studies show that drinking calories doesn’t supply the same satisfaction as slowly chewing food. Also lose a pound in three weeks by cutting out one 12-ounce can of sweetened soda each day. Substitute a diet soda or water (plain or sparkling) for hydration without extra calories.

Frequent Meals Are the Answer

Several studies have shown that frequent, small meals are nutritionally sound. In a study in Great Britain, more than 14,500 volunteers between 45-75 years old participated. The scientists found that while people who ate more frequently took in more calories, they also had lower cholesterol levels (even after exercise, body weight, smoking, and other aspects were factored in). In conclusion, the scientists found that those people eating six or more times a day have cholesterol levels that should reduce their cardiac risk by 10%–20% compared with people who eat once or twice a day.

Another study in France of 330 men discovered that those who eat more frequently have less body fat than those who eat less frequently. Those who ate one or two meals a day had an average body mass index of 26.2 and an average waist-to-hip ratio of 0.95, putting them in the overweight range.

A recent study of 499 Massachusetts residents suggests that frequent, small meals have similar results. People who ate four or more times a day were 45% less likely to be obese than those who ate three or less times a day.

Experts agree that eating small, frequent, portion-controlled meals and snacks can keep your blood sugar level steady, your energy up, and keep you from overindulging.

Another suggestion: consume carbohydrates in the morning; you burn them up quickly and if you’re exercising in the morning, they supply a quick energy boost.

Avoid Fruit Juices

Sure, 100 percent juices look way better than sodas for nutrition, but fruit juice (and those pseudo-juice beverages, like Snapple) pack just as many calories – up to 225 in a 16-ounce bottle.

In addition, fruit juices provide a huge jolt of natural sugar that upsets blood sugar balance and sets up cravings a short time later.

Controlling Portions

This is a very important factor in weight control. Rather than cutting out certain foods you like, you can just reduce the portions on your plate. Here’s a good yardstick for judging portion sizes: one cup is about the size of your fist, and half a cup is roughly equal to the palm of your hand.

Also, know the difference between serving size and portion size. A serving is a standard amount of food containing a set amount of calories; a portion is what you put on your plate. So a portion could be a lot more than a single serving and contain a lot more calories than you thought.

When eating out, request a to-go container at the start of your meal. This way you’ll cut down the portion at the start of your meal and avoid fighting the temptation to eat everything. And you’ll have something delicious for a snack later.

Remember how everyone gets sleepy after a big Thanksgiving Day meal? When you eat a large meal, it requires extra energy to digest it and it alters your blood sugar levels that produce that lethargic, post-meal drossiness. Smaller portions equal more energy and more blood sugar stability, so you don’t get those desert cravings an hour later.

Add Flavor to Your Meals

Tasty spices on foods increase their satisfying effect on your taste buds and encourage you to chew your food thoroughly. For the little extra they cost, they boost that staying-on-your-diet power. For example, with spices you can concoct a variety of chicken  or fish dishes with each having their own distinct flavor.

Avoiding Junk Foods

Never eat chips, candy bars, French fries or soda with sugar. If you’re trapped into eating junk food (in a group with others, etc.) use these strategies: Get a salad to begin. Choose the grilled chicken over fried or breaded chicken. Get soft tacos instead of crispy ones. Keep the sauce and dressings on the side or scrape off as much as possible.

Snack Smart

"In-between snacks can make or break your diet. Snacks are necessary if there is more than a four-hour gap between meals to keep blood sugar under control and prevent overeating. Think of snacks as opportunities to fill in the nutritional gaps in your diet (for example, fruit and low-fat dairy products).

Feed Your Self-Esteem Besides Your Body

It’s important to recognize and celebrate each new step you take. Don’t fixate on down the road. Stay in the now and appreciate that each step you maintain is another step towards a new you. Besides losing weight, you’re gaining a new regard for your body and your value as a person. If you stay focused on the fact that each day you stick to your diet is a small victory in itself, then when you encounter a small setback, you’ll still have plenty of victories under your belt to shrug off the occasional mistake. Remember, the longer you maintain, the stronger you become – and you should feel proud of that.

Practice Stress Relief Techniques

While all of these weight loss guidelines are important, do not overlook the reality that unchecked stress produces a wide range of effects than can sabotage anyone’s diet program. Stress alters your body’s metabolic process by disrupting enzyme production, halting the digestive process and causing the body to mobilize triglycerides into fats. And when those fats are not burned up through exercise, they’re dumped around your waistline as excess belly fat. Take charge and learn how to shut down your body’s stress reactions through stress relief techniques (See Breathing Techniques, Relaxing Sounds, Healing Images and five-minute Guided Processes).

© 2009 Five-Minute Stress Relief - All Rights Reserved

Sources: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 Department of Health and Human Services

(www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines) Aim for a Healthy Weight - Obesity Education Initative National Heart Lung and Blood Institute - National Insititues of Health (www.nhlbi.nih.gov)

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