Diet Tip No. 1: Think lifestyle change, not diet.
•You have to change your eating habits permanently if you want to lose weight and keep it off. "You can't just change what you eat for a short while, for a lasting effect," says Ramona Josephson, a Vancouver-based registered dietitian and president of weightlossdeal.com.Diet Tip No. 2: Eat several mini-meals during the day.
•If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. But when you're hungry all the time, eating fewer calories can be challenging.
•"Studies show people who eat 4-5 meals or snacks per day are better able to control their appetite and weight," says obesity researcher Rebecca Reeves, DrPH, RD.
•She recommends dividing your daily calories into smaller meals or snacks and enjoying as many of them as you can early in the day -- dinner should be the last time you eat.
Diet Tip No. 3: Eat breakfast.
•It seems like a no-brainer, but we've all skipped it. "When you eat breakfast, you keep your metabolism rate up. If you don't eat breakfast, your body sees it as potential starvation and your metabolism slows down," says Josephson.
Diet Tip No. 4: Feed your body regularly.•To keep your blood sugar level consistent, eat three well-balanced meals a day and snacks between meals more than five hours apart, recommends Josephson.
This will help prevent arriving at the next meal famished and "out of control."
Diet Tip No. 5: Watch what you put on your food.
•You may fill your plate with healthy meat or fish and veggies, but then defeat your efforts by slathering on a lot of mayonnaise, butter, salad dressing or excess oil, warns Josephson. Limit the amount you're using and consider selecting a low-fat product, as long as it doesn't contain high sugar.
Diet Tip No. 6: Avoid eating late at night.
•Kovensky tries to have her last meal by 7 p.m. "If I'm eating at 8 p.m., I'm aware of the portions I'm having. I won't have a big plate of pasta." Why not?
When you go to sleep, you're sedentary and will burn fewer calories. Also, people tend to reach for comfort foods when they relax late at night.
Diet Tip No. 7:Eat protein at every meal.•Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fats, and thus may be the new secret weapon in weight control.
•"Diets higher in protein [and] moderate in carbs, along with a lifestyle of regular exercise, have an excellent potential to help weight loss," says
University of Illinois protein researcher Donald Layman, PhD.
•Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like yogurt, cheese, nuts, or beans, at meals and snacks.
•Having ready-to-eat snacks and meals-in-minutes staples on hand sets you up for success. You'll be less likely to hit the drive-through or call in a pizza order if you can make a healthy meal in 5 or 10 minutes.
•Heather Kovensky, who lost 100 lbs as a teenager and now works as a personal trainer, started eating fruits and vegetables instead of chips and cookies.
•She'll munch on an apple, pineapple, grapes and carrots. "Carrots and celery are not as fun, but neither is being overweight," she explains. Sugar also suggests trying raw almonds, yogurt, cottage cheese or soup.
•better to stock in the kitchen with:</font></br>
-94% fat-free microwave popcorn (20-25 calories per cup, and you can make itin two minutes or less)-Frozen vegetables
-Bags of pre-washed greens
-Canned diced tomatoes
-Canned beans
-Whole-grain wraps or pitas
-Pre-cooked grilled chicken breasts
-A few containers of pre-cooked brown rice
*Within minutes, you can toss together a healthy medley.
Diet Tip No. 9: Swap a cup of pasta for a cup of vegetables.
•Simply by eating less pasta or bread and more veggies, you could lose a dress or pants size in a year.
•You can save from 100-200 calories if you reduce the portion of starch on your plate and increase the amount of vegetables.
Diet Tip No. 10: Drink water.
•"I try to drink eight glasses of water a day. Sometimes it's six, sometimes it's ten," says Halifax-based mom Tory Greff. She drinks water especially before reaching for a snack to make sure she's not just thirsty. "Also on a fuller stomach, I'm not as apt to scarf down as quite as many treats." If you find the taste bland, try buying lemon or lime flavoured spring water, as Greff does, or opt for decaffeinated herbal tea.
