We have all written our resolutions for 2011 but have you included any for losing weight?
Well I did it for you! and came up with 11 resolutions you can work on this year to reach your goal of losing the extra dreaded weight!
1- Reduce your intake to ½ the portion― so if you are used to eating a loaf of bread for lunch, eat ½ the quantity or if you are used to eating 2 plates of food, eat 1. If you are used to eating 2 chocolates per day, eat 1/day or if 4 per week, then make them 2. If you drink 2 glasses of alcohol, juice or cocktails every time you go out, then make them one. So the rule is: Reduce the quantity and frequency of everything you eat or drink to half.
2- Always start your meals with a salad. You will feel full faster due to the water and fiber content in the salad thus making you eat less of the main course. Just careful with the sauce!! No high fat sauce or else you will end up consuming more calories than before!!
3- Divide your food plate as such: ½ should be vegetable source; ¼ carbohydrate source (bread, rice, pasta, potato, beans, and peas) and the other ¼ a protein source (meat, chicken, fish, egg). Just don’t go building mountains on your plate (you should fill the plate up to altitude of 2 cm) or else you won’t be consuming fewer calories.
4- Drink water 30 minutes before food and 1 hour after. How can you flush toxins out and to lose weight if you don’t drink water!? In addition, how will chemical reactions occur and your metabolism work properly without water? If you keep forgetting, set your alarm to remind you to drink a glass of water every 2 hours. In addition to water, herbal teas can be another option. Each type has a certain health function. Some help accelerate your metabolism (like ginger), others help control your appetite (like fennel, cinnamon), yet others help with digestion (mint), and some have calming effects (chamomile).
5- Avoid: pastries (dough rich foods), sweets, fried food, alcohol, juices, chips and nuts as they are very high in calories. Choose one meal per week that includes one of those.
6- Sharing is caring. At the restaurants share your food with your loved one or with your friend or relative! Also share your desert if you are having one! On the long run your efforts will be rewarded
7- Don’t over-eat fruits! Just 2 to 4 per day. Some people eat 7, 8, 9, and 10 fruits per day! It’s healthy and it’s a necessity but in moderate quantities! Overconsumption can lead to weight gain and high triglycerides levels!
8- Eat 4- 5 meals per day! Make them small but frequent and don’t eat in between! If you feel hungry snack on vegetables!
9- Move twice as you did before! If you are used to watching TV for 2 hours everyday, decrease that amount to 1 hour and do an activity that requires movement in the other. If you are used to exercising 30 minutes per day, increase to 1 hour. Clean the house, take the stairs, walk in malls, and sit half of the time you are used to in front of TV and internet!
10- Improve the quality of the food you eat! If you eat high fat yogurt, cheese, meat, etc… substitute them by the fat free versions! Today we have fat free, sugar free substitutes for every product! So just check your labels before buying. Read the food labels carefully because some products that are fat free have more sugar added to them to improve the taste and the opposite happens as well.
11- If you feel you need someone to give you a scheduled serious food program for weight loss (and/or related complications such diabetes, cholesterol, triglycerides, etc…) a good resolution for 2011 is to take an appointment with a dietitian and make your goal a reality! Remember each person is different and as such each person needs a personal diet
Samia Khoury Dietitian
Samia Khoury Dietitian
