Healthy ways to manage your weight
NUTRITION
WITH GINA GILCHRIST
Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight can be a challenge. You may have tried to lose weight before without much long-term success. Rest assured, you are not alone. Let’s face it, diets can be confusing and many of them are not sustainable long-term. The dieting cycle explains why so many diets are unsuccessful. Any diet that requires severe restrictions of your food intake will leave you feeling deprived, and eventually, you will give in to your cravings. After you give in, you will feel guilty and start your diet again—thus the cycle repeats! Sound familiar? The answer is this: The diet fails you – you do not fail the diet!
The Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics /Weight Management states: “Patients often are attracted to diets and programs that promise magical, no-stress weight loss. Although these programs have no metabolic validity, their promises are appealing. This has led to a weight-loss industry in this country in excess of $30 billion per year. It must be acknowledged that such programs do modify food intake and produce weight loss not because of the claims given but because of the energy deficit. Although many have short-term success, these diets are often unbalanced and deficient in certain nutrients and may be excessive in others.”
So, how does one break the “diet” mentality? Change your mindset! Try to think about living an overall healthy lifestyle rather than being on a diet. Think about the wholesome foods you can eat and how they are improving your health. Set realistic goals and don’t be so hard on yourself! If you have a slip up with one of your dietary or exercise goals, acknowledge it, determine how to avoid the situation in the future and then get right back on track. Allow yourself to enjoy life. Remember, all foods fit – in moderation of course!
What are the keys to healthy weight loss? The bottom line is this: To lose weight, you must take in fewer calories than you use through normal metabolism and physical activity. It’s a matter of:
- Choosing nutritious foods
- Watching portion sizes and balancing your plate
- Have a meal plan for regular meals and healthy snacks throughout the day
- Holding yourself accountable to reduce temptations
- Starting and staying physically active
How can one make better food choices? Eat a diet rich in fresh or frozen vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Choose a variety of lean proteins throughout the week: skinless chicken or turkey breast, fish, lean pork (tenderloin), soy, legumes, nuts/seeds and small amounts of lean red meat. Limit eggs to about 3-4 per week. Select fat-free and low-fat (1% or skim) dairy products. Limit foods high in sugar with a goal of less than or equal to 6 grams of added sugars per serving on food labels. Be careful of the calories that you are drinking throughout the day in coffee, smoothies, fruit beverages/juices, sodas and alcoholic drinks. A typical 20-ounce soda contains 240 calories and 15-18 teaspoons of sugar! It has been proven in many studies that sugar-sweetened beverages contribute to weight gain, diabetes, dental caries and heart disease. Work to increase water and calorie-free beverages in the diet. For cooking, use small amounts of olive or canola oil (these are heart healthy and high in mono and polyunsaturated fats). Choose margarines that have no trans fats with limited saturated fats. For salad dressings, choose the light varieties that have olive oil or the fat-free types. Choose the low-fat versions of mayo, sour cream and cream cheese and use small amounts.
To keep your portions in check, follow the healthy plate method (choosemyplate.gov) where half of your plate is non-starchy vegetables (corn and potato do not count as vegetable), one-fourth of the plate (approximately ½ cup) is whole grain (3-plus grams of fiber per serving on labels) and one-quarter is lean protein (the size of a deck of cards). You can choose an optional fresh piece of fruit, low-fat dairy serving and/or go back for seconds of more vegetables if you are still hungry at your meals. Use smaller plates, bowls and cups to help you cut down on portions. Try not to go over four hours without eating to keep your metabolism going. Think about three meals daily and one to two healthy snacks. Snacks should be 200 calories or less and contain a lean protein, vegetable or fruit (celery with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or one low-sugar Greek yogurt with one medium apple).
A useful tool to hold you accountable is to keep a food journal. Record what you ate, how much, when and why you ate it. Studies have shown that using an app like MyFitnessPal, website or other technology such as a Fitbit as a weight-loss strategy can improve success. Patterns relating food choices to your emotions may become apparent. To reduce temptations, keep your home the “healthy zone.” Do not keep unhealthy foods in your house if you know they tempt you. Consider planning a menu for the week and grocery shopping accordingly to avoid poor last-minute meal decisions. Think ahead and pack healthy snacks if you know your day will involve a lot of running around.
Incorporate exercise in your healthy lifestyle change as a tool for weight maintenance, not weight loss. Exercise combined with a balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of chronic diseases. It is recommended to have at least 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. Brisk walking, swimming, bicycling, tennis, yard work, and snow shoveling are great exercises. To sustain weight loss, many studies have shown that strength training at least 30 minutes, three days per week sustains muscle and your calorie-burning tissue. Yoga, Pilates, Barre, resistance band or ball workout and doing a weight circuit are good choices. Breaking up exercise into 10-15 minute periods may be helpful to get the recommended amount of exercise per week. Get a workout partner to have moral support and for accountability.
Remember, there is no magic weight-loss formula that works for everyone. The key is to find a plan that works for you and provides the right balance of calories and nutrition with the appropriate amounts of physical activity. Everyone is different and there is more than one way to be successful. You will have greater success when achieving a healthy weight if you find strategies that work for your lifestyle. Consult with a registered dietitian in your area for an individualized plan as needed.