Diet & Nutrition
Article #3 - 10 tips to get back on a diet track
Since autumn proves to be a good season to curb unhealthy lifestyle, apply these ideas.
By Bev Bennett / Health and Fitness News ServiceIf you put your weight loss goals on vacation during the summer, now is an ideal time to get back on track. In a national survey of 1,500 women with children, the majority say fall was a realistic time to start a diet, according to the 3-A-Day of Dairy campaign, which sponsored the poll. Once children are back in school and leisurely schedules are a memory, it may be easier to get into a routine. But if it's been a while since you've been following a healthy, low-calorie diet, or if you've been chasing weight-loss fads, it's time for a primer.
Here are 10 tips to help you slim down this season:
1. Don't try to change your summer patterns overnight. If you've been having ice cream every afternoon, it's going to be difficult to avoid it altogether. Instead, you'll have greater success in the long run if you ease into your new healthy eating habits, says Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a registered dietitian and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "When I have clients who set themselves up for a rigid program on September 1, they fall by the way on September 8," says Jamieson-Petonic, Health Education Manager at Fairview Hospital Wellness Center in Rocky River, Ohio. Taking that ice cream habit as an example, switch from a daily to a weekly serving and you may be more likely to stick with your weight loss plan.
2. Don't make your goals vague, either, says Andrea Giancoli, a Los Angeles registered dietitian and also a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. For example, instead of simply saying you're going eat more fruits and vegetables, serve two vegetables a day, says Giancoli, who is in private practice.
3. Avoid starvation diets, even if you think they'll help jump-start your weight loss. Radically cutting your caloric intake will only result in temporary weight loss. Make moderate calorie cuts so you have a slow and steady weight loss of one to two pounds a week. That way your body can adapt, Giancoli says. "If you're losing weight quickly you're decreasing your caloric intake too much and your body is going into famine mode, holding onto calories and making it harder to lose weight," says Giancoli.
4. Shop often enough so that you have plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole-grain foods on hand. However, shop smart, as well. "Don't go to a supermarket after work when you're tired and hungry. And, try to leave your children at home with your spouse so you're not persuaded to buy foods you don't need," says Jamieson-Petonic.
5. Cook extra servings of low-calorie meals during the weekends so you have almost instant dinners during weeknights when you come home ravenous.
6. Make a schedule for yourself so you don't skip meals. You don't have to eat three squares, says Giancoli. Maybe you prefer six mini-meals a day. Just make sure you have time to eat.
7. Choose snacks wisely. Eat a couple of cookies in the afternoon and you can easily add 300 to 400 calories a day to your food intake without feeling satisfied. Select healthful snacks that have between 100 and 200 calories a serving. Good bets include foods with protein and/or dietary fiber since both provide satiety. For protein, try fat-free yogurt, reduced-fat cheese sticks or sliced lean ham. For fiber, eat a serving of a high-fiber breakfast cereal or fruit such as apples, berries or pears.
8. Eat breakfast. "Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast eat more (total daily) calories than those who consume the meal," says Jamieson-Petonic.
9. Consume the bulk of your calories mid-day, not at night. It's true that you'll gain weight only if you eat more calories than you burn, and when you eat shouldn't matter. But if you starve all day and binge at night, your total caloric consumption is apt to be higher. In addition, you probably won't exercise to compensate, says Jamieson-Petonic.
10. Learn to recognize portion sizes so you don't overeat. Use measuring cups for a few days so you can see what diet-appropriate servings look like. That way, you can identify say, a half-cup of cooked rice, which is a serving. Once you've mastered the visual cues you're less likely to overeat when you dine out, says Giancoli.