Lifestyle Tips

Every once and awhile you come across something that helps motivate you. This post has helped motivate me, so hopefully someone out there will find the same.


1. Know the difference between weight loss myths and facts
Can you lose 20 pounds in a week? Not likely; a much more realistic goal is to lose ½ to 2 pounds per week; its slower, but its more likely to come off and stay off. Eat smaller, balanced meals instead of skipping meals to lose weight; its more effective. Don't expect to eat all you want and still lose weight. You can eat a variety of foods, but the total amount of calories has to be less than you use up every day. There is no such thing as fat-burning foods. Exercise is what you need instead. Source: NIDDK Weight-Loss and Nutrition Myths, http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/myths


2. Lose the diet and the weight?
Can you lose weight by not dieting? Perhaps if instead, you eat only when hungry and stop when full; maintain a variety of foods in your meals to keep them well-balanced; keep your portions moderate; gravitate toward home-cooked meals without as much fat, sugar or salt as commercial meals; take part in physical activity, and enjoy your ability to move through the day; and trust your body. You can keep up this type of plan much longer than a special diet, and best of all, you wont have to spend your day obsessed with the food you're not eating. Sources: Healthy Weight Network: Healthy Weight Week, Jan 20-26, 2002, http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/hww.htm; Normal Eating Nurtures Wellness, http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/handouts.htm#Top%2010%20Reasons%20Not%20to%20Diet


3. How to Control Emotional Overeating
If you know you're likely to reach for food when you're anxious or upset, avoid strict diets. These tend to give you a sense of deprivation. Use a moderate diet with healthy snacks to keep you going. Make a point of noticing emotional triggers that make you want to eat try writing them down. When they occur, grab a cool drink of water to give you a chance to think, then begin an activity you've decided to substitute for eating, such as a 15-minute walk, calling a friend, reading a chapter of a book you enjoy, or using the computer. Source: Sandra Haber, PhD, How to Control Emotional Overeating Tricks for Staying on Track, Psychologists in Independent Practice, a division of the American Psychological Association, http://www.division42.org/PublicArea/Info_Public/Tips/overeating_1.html


4. Serve up your daily fruit and vegetable servings
Fresh fruit and vegetables are good choices, but sometimes they spoil before a busy person can eat them. You can get canned fruits instead look for those packed in water or juice, not heavy syrup. Frozen vegetables are OK too, but skip those packaged with cheese, butter or cream sauces. Try to eat two to four fruit and three to five vegetable servings daily. One fruit serving is one medium-sized apple, orange or banana, or ½ cup canned fruit, or ¾ cup fruit juice. One vegetable serving is ½ cup cooked vegetables, or one cup raw leafy greens. Source: NIDDK Weight-Loss and Nutrition Myths, http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/myths/


5. The Lowdown on Food Labels
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a fat-free food must have less than 0.5 grams (g) of fat per serving. Low-fat foods have 3 g or less per serving. Make sure you read the label to see how many servings there are! Reduced-fat or less-fat foods must have at least 25 percent less fat than the full-fat version. Light or lite foods may have fewer calories or half the fat of the full-fat version. Or they may have 50 percent less sodium content, or simply be clearer in color! Be sure to read labels to see what you're paying for! Source: NIDDK Weight-Loss and Nutrition Myths, http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/myths