Believe it or not, restaurant food doesn't have to be a dieter's nightmare. Dishes like salads, grilled meat and fish are perfectly fine for calorie-counting diners.. as long as you don't put a thick, creamy sauce on top of them.
Order dishes without sauces if you can. If you really have to, go for something light like a soy sauce or vinaigrette. In an Italian restaurant, try the sauces with a tomato base as they will generally be lighter.
Source:modeldietplan.com
A common mistake of most dieters is to take all snacks out the house. Models know that snacking throughout the day is actually a key element of successful dieting. Everyone gets hunger pangs - just make sure that when you lose your willpower its with healthy, low-fat snacks rather than pizza or icecream.
Great ideas for healthy snacks are low-fat yoghurt, sweet potatoes, edamame and salted popcorn. Try to carry snacks with you when you leave the house too. A healthy nut bar in your purse will prevent you from stopping in at McDonalds on the way home.
Source: modeldietplans.com
The following are 10 unconventional weight loss tips that worked for me. Between January 4, 2006 and March 31, 2006 I lost fifty pounds. These tips work well because almost every tip is focused around completing a small goal. In my opinion, to stay motivated and lose a significant amount of weight, you should complete many goals in a short period of time. The reason I call these tips unconventional is that I had not seen a majority of them before starting my diet.
I will start by recognizing the typical “calories in, calories out” schpeil. Yes, to lose weight you have to eat well and exercise. But there is much more to it than that, and I don’t want to spend time regurgitating ideas you’ve heard before. That brings me to the first point:
Buy a digital scale
This seems easy enough. I recommend that before starting a diet, buy a scale that is accurate to .2 (two-hundredths of a pound). I will explain why below. I also recommend either buying a scale that can record your daily weight, or manually logging your weight everyday. I bought a scale that was accurate to .2 and logged my weight at Sam’s Club for $22. It has been a great investment.
Weigh yourself everyday
You’ll find that almost every other dieter will tell you to weigh yourself only once a week. I recommend the exact opposite. I am very goal oriented and I like to see results everyday. The reason I recommend buying a scale that is accurate to the .2 is that there is a very big difference between weighting 170.8 one day and 170.0 the next day. Losing .8 pounds in one day is excellent. However, if your scale is not accurate enough to report the loss and still shows 170 after a day of healthy eating and working out, you will feel extremely discouraged. A more detailed scale makes it easier to keep a positive outlook. The more successes (days with positive weight loss) the easier it is.
Drink 8 glasses of water everyday
This one is obvious and broadly recommended, however, the reason I recommend it is slightly different. Drinking eight glasses of water per day helps you “feel less hungry.” I can’t prove this scientifically, however, when I am at work, I drink 4 cups in the morning and 4 cups in the evening. On the days that I don’t drink the water, I feel hungrier, earlier. Also, on the days I don’t drink water I feel sleepier, sooner. Don’t feel intimidated by trying to drink 8 glasses of water. Try doing what I do: I have a pint glass I keep at work, it holds sixteen ounces (as all pint glasses do). All I do is drink two pints of water in the morning and two in the afternoon.
Make your diet public
Tell people you’re on a diet. There’s no reason to be ashamed to be on a diet. I found that trying to keep my diet a secret was harder than just telling people. In fact, telling your coworkers, girlfriend, family, etc. will increase your accountability. It motivated me knowing that my coworkers and family knew that I was dieting because I did not want to fail. I also chose a typical “fat picture” and put it on my fridge, in my cubicle, and on my wall. I wanted to have a continual reminder to lose the weight. I know it’s a cliche, but it was important for me to remind myself of my ultimate goal.
I feel I should also note that although I was 50 pounds over weight, when I told people I was on a diet they often said “you don’t need to diet.” I found this surprising because I was obviously overweight. Beware that you will likely hear similar comments. I found it easier to just accept the “compliment” than to try to justify my diet to them. Remember that you are on a diet for you, and that you do not need to justify yourself.
Don’t diet on the weekends
This is another unconventional bit of advice. I was able to lose 50 pounds without dieting on the weekends. I found myself tired, depressed, and unmotivated if I tried to continue my diet into the weekend. I felt that Friday and Saturday (my weekend) was a time to celebrate 5 days of dieting. You may not find this necessary, especially in the first few weeks of a diet. However, as many weeks passed, the weekend became a time for me to celebrate my weekly successes and get myself mentally prepared for another five days of dieting. I considered it a mental recharge.
Don’t sacrifice your life for your diet
On occasion, you will find yourself unable to eat healthy. Whether this is because of lunches with your team at work, birthdays, or special occasions, there will be events that you just can’t (or don’t want to) eat healthy. A diet will feel overwhelming if you have to sacrifice special events in your life. The way I combated this was to exchange a day that I was not going to diet on the weekend. In other words, if I didn’t diet on Tuesday, for example, I would diet on Saturday, instead.
Make the small changes
This is a pretty common tip, however, I have a twist to it. Rather than giving up what most diets say you should give up (soda, coffee, beer, caffeine, etc.) just make healthier decisions. I didn’t want to give anything up, so I decided to make some changes instead. The first switch I made was switching to diet soda. Don’t worry, you’ll quickly get used to the flavor. Before I started my diet, I swore I would never drink diet soda. Now thanks to my girlfriend, diet is the only soda I drink. The second switch I made was to drinking black coffee. Cut out the sugar and creme, and you get the benefits of coffee (caffeine) without the calories. The last major switch I made was to “healthy” beer. I’m a Miller Lite drinker, however, by temporarily switching to Beck’s Premier Light (60 calories per serving) I was able to still enjoy a healthy social life while maintaining my diet.
In addition to making the small changes in your diet, make the small changes in your life: park further away, walk to the end of the train platform and get in the last car, and vow not to take an elevator for an entire week. I also found it advantageous to wear a pedometer and try to compete against myself for how far I could walk in a single day. The furthest I walked in a day was 6.5 miles. I voluntarily walked to work twice a week.
Gain perspective by understanding the fractions
Your diet is an incredibly small fraction of your life. If you live for 80 years, and dieted for four months, that would only be .42% of your life. That’s right, if you diet for four months, it will be less than one half of one percent of your life. On the other hand think of the major benefits you can get from .42% of your life. If it helps you stay motivated, count down the days starting at 120.
Rationalize your workouts
Finding the time to get to the gym can be very difficult. However a 1/2 hour workout is only 2% of your day (assuming 24 hour days). For me, the most motivating thought was comparing my workouts to sitcoms. As a huge Everybody Loves Raymond fan, every time I would sit down to watch an episode, I would remind myself that in the 1/2 hour that I was sitting and doing nothing, I could complete my daily workout.
You’ve lost the weight, what now?
Have a red flag weight
Once you’ve lost the weight, you need to keep it off. This is where the red flag comes in. You need to pick a weight and vow to never get heavier than it again. It is normal for your body to fluctuate five to ten pounds. I recommend picking a weight that is ten pounds heavier than what you “normally” weigh and never weigh more than it again. Setting a red flag weight allowed me to keep off every pound for over 1 year.
Lastly, for the curious out there…I followed the Weight Watchers diet. I did not pay for the diet, nor did I go to meetings. I found out all the information about the diet on-line. The first place to look is at their patent.
All well known diets are available via Google Patent Search. For the several months that I was dieting, I also gave up red meat and made sure to drink a lot of milk. The preceding tips worked perfectly for me and they will work for you, too. Prior to creating my own diet plan, I tried to diet several times and failed every time. I swear by these weight loss tips. What do you think of them? Do you have a tip that didn’t make my list? Let us know in the comments. I will be glad to answer any questions or defend any point.
Posted By KylePott
Start by focusing on getting the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
"It sounds like a lot, but it is well worth it, because at the same time you are meeting your fiber goals and feeling more satisfied from the volume of food," says chef Laura Pansiero, RD.
You're also less likely to overeat because fruits and vegetables displace fat in the diet. And that's not to mention the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. More than 200 studies have documented the disease-preventing qualities of phytochemicals found in produce, says Pansiero.
Her suggestion for getting more: Work vegetables into meals instead of just serving them as sides on a plate.
"I love to take seasonal vegetables and make stir-fries, frittatas, risotto, pilafs, soups, or layer on sandwiches," Pansiero says. "It is so easy to buy a variety of vegetables and incorporate them into dishes.Whenever you feel like eating, look for physical signs of hunger, suggests Michelle May, MD, author of Am I Hungry?
"Hunger is your body's way of telling you that you need fuel, so when a craving doesn't come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it," she says.
When you're done eating, you should feel better -- not stuffed, bloated, or tired.
"Your stomach is only the size of your fist, so it takes just a handful of food to fill it comfortably," says May.
Keeping your portions reasonable will help you get more in touch with your feelings of hunger and fullness.
posted by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. So you can end up eating extra calories when an ice-cold glass of water is really what you need.
"If you don't like plain water, try adding citrus or a splash of juice, or brew infused teas like mango or peach, which have lots of flavor but no calories," says Cynthia Sass, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
posted by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
Traditional holiday recipes were originally made from the most delicious ingredients as a way to celebrate the special holiday season. These ingredients include butter, heavy cream, nuts, meats, and preserves. The creation of the recipes predated the American obesity epidemic, but today people are more aware of the sometimes shocking calorie and fat content of these dishes. Some people choose to ignore this information and deal with the consequences of their consumption after the first of the year. However, pounds gained during the holiday season are often never lost, so it is worth being conscious of the following high-calorie holiday dishes so you can practice some waistline damage control.
The moist texture of a turkey's dark meat and the intense flavor of its skin are due to the high fat content in both. Just 4 ounces of dark meat turkey with some skin provides 250 calories and 13 grams of fat, while 4 ounces of white meat without skin only has 150 calories and 1 gram of fat.
Despite the claims of low-carb dieters everywhere, potatoes are not the enemy. Standing alone, potatoes are actually a low calorie, fat-free food. However, traditional holiday mashed potato recipes call for generous amounts of butter, cream, and sometimes even cheese. Loaded up with these heavy ingredients, mashed potatoes can reach a whopping 470 calories per 1-cup serving.
As if the mashed potatoes and turkey didn't do enough damage, we often like to top it all with gravy made from the bird's fat drippings. Pour ¾ cup of gravy over your plate, and you'll add 375 calories.
Sweet potatoes are an extremely nutritious vegetable that needs very little interference to make it taste heavenly. But the tradition of candying sweet potatoes, which means adding brown sugar and butter, turns this nutritious treat into a high-calorie sweet. And when we top it with marshmallows, we increase the calories to an incredible 400 calories from just a ¾ cup serving!
Traditionally, stuffing is cooked inside the turkey where it absorbs much of the fat from the bird. Whether made from corn bread or white bread, it often contains high-fat ingredients such as butter, sausage, and nuts, averaging about 340 calories per 1 cup serving.
A traditional Hanukkah dish, potato latkes are patties of shredded potato held together with matzo and egg that is fried in a generous amount of oil. They are often served with applesauce and/or sour cream. Three latkes with 1 tablespoon of sour cream on each pack over 400 calories.
This rich and creamy holiday drink is not for the weak of heart. At 350 calories and 19 grams of fat (11 of which are saturated) per 8-ounce serving, over-consumption of this holiday treat packs on pounds and clogs arteries.
While ham is a more traditional choice for a holiday dinner, those opting for something more upscale may choose prime rib. Unfortunately, this cut of meat is called "prime" because it contains 35-45% fat, which is the highest of all cuts. A 4-ounce serving of prime rib contains about 425 calories. But let's face it - nobody eats 4 ounces of this succulent cut of meat. A more common serving size is at least 8 ounces, which delivers a hefty 850 calories.
While peanuts contain good fat, they are high in calories and should be consumed in moderation. Add butter and corn syrup (sugar) to peanuts and you have peanut brittle, which packs 485 calories into a 3.5 ounce serving.
10. Pecan pie - a generous serving can be 800 calories!
Same story as the peanut brittle with the addition of a flaky, buttery crust. A generous serving of pecan pie can top out at 800 calories!
Indulging in even moderate quantities of these high-calorie foods regularly throughout the holiday season can wreak havoc on your waistline. Of course it is possible to purchase or prepare healthier versions of the above foods, but you may not be involved in their preparation. Even if your host doesn't take any calorie-cutting measures, just being aware of the dishes that are highest in fat and calories will help you make better choices and eat smaller quantities.
To make sure you do not go overboard, first pick your favorites and skip anything that does not look amazing. There are always too many options-you do not have to eat one of everything.
Second, take smaller portions than you are used to since these are rich foods and it will certainly not take much to fill you up.
Third, limit yourself to one helping. If you are tempted to go back for more, wait 20 minutes, by which time you will probably feel too full.
Finally, eat slowly and savor every bite. The holidays are a time of feasting and celebrating, and you should be able to enjoy some special treats with your friends and family. Just enjoy them mindfully.
