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1. Don't allow yourself to be hungry. Be aware of your "edge of satisfaction". 2. Eat at least 1/2 your calories before 2:00 in the afternoon. 3. Eat 4 to 6 times per day, but don't eat constantly. Be sure to have some 2 to 3 hours gaps with no food. 4. Include complex carbohydrates (pasta, rice, breads, potatoes, corn, etc.) with each meal or snack. Limit your intake of simple sugars and of processed carbohydrates (particularly white flour). Artificial sweeteners interfere with the development of sound eating habits, encourage your sweet tooth, and may negatively affect the health of certain individuals. They should be avoided or severely limited. 5. Time your meals and snacks to last until the next time you will be able to eat. A meal should always include complex carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Snacks can be tailored to how long they need to last, using the following guidelines: - Sugars (including most fruits) work for 1/4 to 1/2 hour. - Complex carbohydrates work from 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours. - Proteins work from 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours. - Fats work from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.6. Choose low to moderate-fat alternatives often, but remember that fat is an important part of an effective weight loss and weight control program. Too little fat will sabotage your weight loss efforts. Avoid fat-free and fat substitute products, as well as fat-absorbers. All of these can upset the balance of nutrients absorbed by the body. 7. Your fiber intake should be 25 to 40 grams per day. If you cannot achieve this level through foods, consider adding a fiber supplement before each meal. Pre-meal fiber drinks are a safe way to control unnecessary eating, improve cholesterol profile and improve bowel function. If you are taking prescription medications take them one hour before or 3 hours after fiber supplements. 8. Don't be too hard on yourself. Remember it takes 3500 calories to gain a pound. Eating a forbidden food is not a reason to beat yourself up. 9. If you go off your good eating habits, don't use that as an excuse to give up, just get back on, keep moving forward. A day of no weight loss may be frustrating if your goal is to lose, but it will actually help your body to maintain a good metabolic rate and may contribute to your long term success. 10. Remember that the more activity you get, the more easily you will lose weight or maintain your ideal weight. 11. Build muscle to improve your metabolic rate. Learn how to incorporate simple muscle building moves in your daily activities. And remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so your weight may not change when you first begin to build muscle and lose fat. Go by the fit of your clothes, not by the scale. 12. Choose activities that are fun and social. They will be easier to maintain when you are feeling tired or discouraged. 13. Explore your life. Be pro-active in handling problem areas which trigger poor eating habits. 14. Keep a diary of everything you eat and drink until your new habits are well established. 15. Take a high quality multiple vitamin, mineral and anti-oxidant supplement daily to help your body cope with toxins released from fat storage as you lose weight. Add other nutrients for special concerns. If you are a chocoholic, take magnesium (400 to 600 mg. per day). If you feel that mild depression is an issue in your weight control, try adding extra B vitamins and 1500 mg (that's only 14 calories) of omega-3 fatty acids from high quality fish oil or flaxseed oil to your diet. 16. Over-the-counter weight loss products help some people to better control their appetite as they retrain their eating habits, but can become a crutch that inhibits the development of eating habits that can be sustained after weight loss. Before taking over-the-counter products that raise your metabolism or alter body chemistry get your physician's okay. Many of the new over-the-counter products are guarana (a fat soluble form of caffeine that is more slowly released into the body) based and may be a concern if you have cystic breasts, irregular heartbeat, or trouble sleeping. Others contain herbs that may be of concern under certain conditions. 17. Remember your goal is to retrain your eating habits and living habits, not to trick your body with fake foods and fat-burners. Learn to choose the proper portions of real foods, and choose a regular form of exercise that can easily fit into your day, thus preparing yourself for weight maintenance when your diet is done.18. Get plenty of sleep. Research has shown that lack of sleep decreases the body's level of leptin, a compound which regulates appetite. Chronic lack of a good night's sleep (ideally defined as 8 to 9 uninterrupted hours) may lead you to overeating. Prepared by Carolyn C. Cramoy, M. S.. This information may be copied and distributed for educational purposes if the NutritionAtHome.com logo is displayed on the first page and/or NutritionAtHome.com is clearly cited as the source. |
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