Recent News

October 27, 2009

Sensible Weight Loss Tips

If your goal is to lose weight, here are some tips to help you achieve that goal. Remember, your body weight is controlled by the number of calories you eat and the number of calories you use each day. To lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than you use. You can do this by creating and following a plan for healthy eating and regular physical activity.

Tips For Losing Weight

Keep a food and activity journal.
Write down what you eat and how much you exercise. Studies show that people who keep track of these things are often more successful at losing weight.

Eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day.
Substitute fruits and vegetables for higher calorie, less nutritious foods.

Eat foods that are high in fiber to help you feel full.
Whole grain cereals, legumes (lentils and beans), vegetables, and fruits are good sources of fiber that may help you feel full with fewer calories.

Prepare and eat meals and snacks at home.
This is a great way to eat healthy and save money. Follow these guidelines when preparing meals:

Use a cooking spray instead of oil or butter to decrease the amount of fat when you cook.
Prepare food by broiling or baking instead of frying.
Trim fat from meat and remove the skin from poultry (before cooking).
Flavor foods with herbs and spices instead of high-fat seasonings and sauces.
Use low-fat or non-fat milk, cheeses, sour cream, mayonnaise, sauces and salad dressings.
Use applesauce instead of shortening in your brownies and other desserts.

Read food labels to determine serving sizes.
One bowl of cereal may actually be two ¾-cup servings. A small frozen pizza may contain up to three servings. This could add up to a lot more calories than you think you’re getting.

Keep healthy snacks with you.
A piece of fresh fruit, cut raw vegetables, or a container of low-fat yogurt are excellent (and portable) choices to tide you over until mealtimes. Take these snacks with you for a healthy alternative to chips, cookies, or candy.

Take your time!
Eat slowly and enjoy the taste, texture, and smell of your food as you eat it. Remember, it takes approximately 15 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that you are full.

Eat only when you’re hungry
If you tend to eat when you are not hungry, try doing something else. Walk around the block or call a friend, instead of eating. You could also try doing something with your hands, such as knitting, drawing, or playing cards. Also try drinking water or herbal tea without sugar.

Watch your portions when eating out.
Portion sizes at restaurants are usually more than one serving. Choose smaller portion sizes, order an appetizer and a leafy green salad with low-fat dressing, share an entree with a friend, or get a "doggy bag" and save half for another meal.

Get Moving!
Experts recommend doing 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week for good health. To lose weight you may need to do more than 30 minutes of physical activity a day. You can get your daily 30 minutes (or more) all at once, or break it up into shorter sessions.

Try these activities to fit more exercise into your day:

When watching TV, use the commercial breaks to walk around your home, walk in place, or do other exercises.
Talk a walk during half of your lunch break.
Deliver a message to a co-worker instead of calling or emailing them.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Park a little farther away from the entrance of your workplace or the store or mall (when shopping).
Get off the bus a stop or two early and walk the rest of the way.

Be a smart shopper
Eating healthy starts with healthy shopping. Shop for low fat/low calorie snack food items and fill your refrigerator and kitchen cupboards with a supply of lower calorie foods.
Eat a favorite rich food, occasionally.

You don’t have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthy. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat.

Get fit with family and friends.
Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Plan one group activity, such as a bike ride or hike, each week.

Avoid miracle or fad diets.
Fad diets often call for too much or too little of one type of food. As a result, you may not get important nutrients you need each day. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Be realistic about your goals.
If you try to reduce the calories, fat and sugar in your diet AND promise to make a drastic change in your physical activity level, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Instead of trying to make several changes at once, set smaller, more realistic goals for yourself and add a new challenge each week.

For more information contact:
Janice Early-Weas, Director of Community Relations
(785) 840-3132 or janice.early-weas@lmh.org