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You Can Do It!
Many people find it hard to accept the facts about weight
control. Miracle diets and quick cures are not the answer;
permanent lifestyle changes are. The best way to control
weight is to consume fewer calories and exercise more.
You can't just change your habits for a week or two and go
back to the way you were. You can successfully manage
your weight, but it means a lifetime commitment and permanent
changes in eating behavior. Weight takes time to gain, and it
takes time to lose. But, once the weight is gone, it's well
worth it. Now that you know how to "Win by Losing,"
get out there and beat the odds!
10
Tips to Reshape Behavior
- Pan-fry or saute foods with a non-stick spray or
low-calorie butter substitute. Bake or broil instead
of frying.
- Eat high-fiber foods, such as a bran muffin instead
of the morning donut.
- Use sugar substitutes when sweetening foods and
beverages.
- Order from the light menus now offered at many
restaurants, or purchase low-calorie or reduced-fat
products at the grocery store.
- Try a meal plan using "exchange lists"
based on foods grouped together according to similar
food values. Most exchange lists include several
"free" foods: those lower than 20 calories
per serving, such as many low-calorie, sugar-free
foods and beverages.
- Never skip meals. Eat three to six times a day in
smaller portions to keep from getting hungry.
- Use a smaller plate at mealtime to satisfy your
psychological need to see a full plate.
- Eat and chew slowly. Learn to stop eating before you
feel full. (It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to
tell the brain that it is full!)
- Weigh yourself on a regular schedule, but don’t
become a slave to your scale.
- Reward yourself with pleasures other than food--buy
some new clothes, get a different hair style, see a
movie, visit a friend, etc.
Also see ...
• Dieting Dilemmas: Which diets really work
Contributors
John P. Foreyt, Ph.D., is a leading authority on obesity, dieting and behavior. He is director of the Nutrition Research Clinic and Professor, Department of Medicine, at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Gail Becker, R.D., is recognized for communications expertise on diet, nutrition and fitness. She is president of Gail Becker Associates in Great Neck, New York.
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