As an actual diet doctor, I've spent the past decade helping people lose weight, and I've learned a lot in the process. Many of my patients were successful, many regained weight, and some didn't lose much weight at all. In the process, I learned a lot about successful long-term weight loss in the real world -- not TV weight loss; not celebrity weight loss, which usually includes private chefs, trainers and nannies, but rather weight loss for real (often stressed out and overworked) people trying to lose weight while living their lives. This kind of weight loss includes monthly challenges like holidays, vacations, loss of motivation, and even changes in the weather that affect exercise. In addition, working as a part-time writer, diet and nutrition media expert, and TV host that evaluates almost every diet out there, I've also realized that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to dieting -- most diets will work for some people some of the time. So rather than tell you what to eat, I thought I would share what I believe are seven of the best tips for losing weight, and keeping the weight off, no matter what diet you choose to follow.
Pump up the volume of meals.
We eat approximately the same volume of food every day,[1] so including foods with lower calorie density (calories per gram) is essential unless you eat very small portions (like the French). Foods that have lower calorie densities are high in water (fruits, vegetables, soup, low-fat or fat-free dairy), high in fiber (whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables) and lower in fat. Foods that do not contain water, like dry salty snacks, crackers, and dense baked goods have a higher calorie density even if they are fat-free, and portions need to be carefully controlled. By permanently modifying meals and recipes to include more low-calorie-density ingredients, you don't have to cut portions to lose weight and keep it off, and eating well is much more live-able.
Limit liquid calories.
Our body simply doesn't register liquid calories like calories from solid food, so it is very easy to consume too many calories each day drinking extra-large lattes (even if they are fat-free), sugar-sweetened beverages (including sweetened tea, sports drinks, and even juice, which has naturally occurring sugar but is still loaded with calories), and alcoholic beverages. Downsize your morning latte, limit intake of sugar-sweetened beverages as much as possible, drink juice out of old-fashioned juice glasses (which used to be 6 or 8 ounces), and if you drink alcohol, avoid sugary mixers and cut calories from elsewhere in your meal if possible.
Make mindless eating work for you.
Numerous studies have looked at the relationship between a person's eating environment and food intake. By building a better eating environment, you can mindlessly control calories for good, no matter how stressed you are at work or how much your motivation levels drop. How? Start with dishware. Eat off smaller plates, out of smaller bowls, and drink out of tall, thin glasses. In your pantry, fridge and freezer, keep more tempting foods out of sight as much as possible by putting them on higher shelves or transferring them to opaque storage containers. At the dinner table, leave serving dishes containing higher-calorie foods in the kitchen and keep lower-calorie vegetable dishes on the table within easy reach for seconds. Entertaining? Limit variety of less healthy foods (this is also important when stocking your pantry), as research shows that increased variety equals increased caloric intake.
Think outside the gym when it comes to exercise.
Yes, getting at least 30 minutes per day of cardiovascular exercise five times a week and twice-a-week sessions of strength training is critical, but you can actually burn far more calories over time by increasing lifestyle-based activity like standing while talking on the phone, getting off the train or bus a stop early and walking the rest of the way to work, or engaging in more active hobbies like bowling instead of going to the movies, or taking dance lessons instead of photography lessons. Research shows that basic things like dishwashers, cars, elevators, and washing machines cause us to burn fewer calories per day, so you have to find a way to burn these extra calories despite advances in technology. Adding in as much non-exercise activity can really add up in terms of calories burned over the long run, and is much easier to permanently incorporate into your life, no matter how motivated you are.
Ditch the all-or-nothing mentality.
I can't tell you how many times patients come in and tell me they "took the weekend off" from their diet (or worse, a week or more if they are on vacation). I don't expect anyone to be perfect all the time. In fact, I encourage my patients to indulge early on in their weight loss program to help them build confidence, learn to handle controlled indulgences, and bounce back from less healthful choices quickly. Don't act as if there is a switch in your brain that determines whether you are on or off a diet -- instead, make better choices most, not all, of the time, and you will be less tempted to go "off your diet," gain back some or all of the weight you have worked so hard to lose, and perhaps even stay "off your diet" for good.
Think ahead.
I personally don't do well at planning out my meals for the week, but many of my patients are much more successful when they do. I tend to eat, and buy, many of the same things each week, so less of a plan is required. I do insist that patients always have somewhat of plan for eating away from home -- whether it is making sure you have three or four restaurants around the office that have healthful choices, looking at the restaurant menu ahead of time if you are eating out (especially at ethnic restaurants) to figure out better choices, or deciding ahead of time what you are going to indulge in at a party or dinner out (wine, bread, dessert, or pasta). By mentally committing ahead of time, you limit the mindless eating and drinking that often occur at social eating occasions. If you are attending a party or dinner, offer to bring a healthful dish so you have a safe option to fill up on, or eat a little snack before heading out the door (lean protein and vegetables work best to prevent overeating -- and include a little healthy fat if you plan on drinking, as fat delays the absorption of alcohol).
Always have a plan B for eating and exercise.
This is essential, especially for the majority of Americans who are busy juggling work, family, and home and don't always have time to get to the gym, prepare the best food, or find the healthiest restaurant. If you can't make it to the 7 a.m. spin class, don't skip your workout altogether -- try to squeeze in even a 10-minute walk at lunch or after work, or do the first 20 minutes of an exercise DVD at home or 10 minutes of push-ups and sit-ups if you don't have time for more. Consistent, smaller changes really do add up over time. And always stock your freezer with a few healthful frozen meal options, including entrees and frozen vegetables, for those nights when you don't have time to cook and are tempted to order pizza or Chinese food. Finally, always try to keep an emergency healthful snack pack on hand to take the edge off hunger and give you time to make the best eating choice possible if you haven't eaten for hours. Smart and easy snacks include fresh fruit, portion-controlled bags of nuts, and lower-sugar, higher-fiber protein or energy bars.
In addition to the seven tips above, try to eat fewer foods out of a box (highly processed foods, especially snack foods, often encourage overconsumption), weigh yourself regularly (but not so often that you drive yourself crazy or get depressed chasing the number on the scale), and focus on both quality and quantity when it comes to what you eat. Nutrient-dense foods like whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables (especially when they are in season), lean protein, low-fat or fat-free dairy, and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil) should be the foundation of any diet plan.
Dr. Melina Jampolis, M.D. is a board-certified physician nutrition specialist specializing in weight loss and disease prevention and the author of The Calendar Diet: A Month-by-Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life.
For more by Dr. Melina Jampolis, click here.
For more on weight loss, click here.
References:
[1] Wansink, Brian. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. New York: Bantam Dell, 2006.
Follow Dr. Melina Jampolis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/drmelina
Kathy Freston: 3 Reasons Your Diet Isn't Working
Easy Weight Loss Tips: 10 Painless Ways to Lose Weight
Weight Loss Tips, Motivation & Training Routines
Our 25 best weight-loss tips from over the years - USATODAY.com
It looks like I'm pretty much on track for this to be permanent weight loss, because I completely revamped the way I eat, make sure I exercise daily and have been adding more activity into my days.
One thing that has helped me when I want a quick meal? Doing batch cooking on the weekends and freezing the portions (mostly in the slow cooker). That way, I know I have a good, nutritious home-cooked meal for lunch as well as one waiting for me at the end of the day to quickly heat up and enjoy. They're cheaper than the frozen entrees with a LOT less sodium and other preservatives!
thejoyoffitness.wordpress.com
Actual sensible diet advice on Huff-P!
No vedge evangelism, and only three uses of the infantile word "veggies" on the whole page!
What next, AH? Reduction of the use of the phrase "Baby Bump" to no more than twice a day? No more lectures from rich celebrities about "spirituality"? A ban on shameless fear-mongering about aspartame, nuclear reactors, and pandemic diseases? How 'bout an end to the mindless invocation of Mindfulness?
And three low-calorie cheers for Melina Jampolis!
Lost almost 50 lbs. over three years ago and have been in a five lb. range ever since.
I'm confused. Am I still on Huffpo?
Also, yes, if you can find the time to process some veggies, that and some homemade onion/ranch dip is a better binge than a 300g bag of doritos.
Yes, I enjoy the endorphin rush from jogging and how I look. I do not diet because eating healthy is a way of life for me. It has been decades since I ate fast food. I do not take a day off from healthy eating. It is self-defeating to do so, IMO.
With protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, almonds could be just the solution for keeping your appetite in check until mealtime. But to get the benefits of almonds without added fat, make sure to choose raw or dry roasted almonds.
Almonds are packed with nutrition that can help weight loss and give you a health boost at the same time. Almonds are a source of the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium. Find out more in my blog Crunch Time for Weight Loss (http://pilladvised.com/2012/02/crunch-time-for-weight-loss/)
Spice Things Up at Mealtime
The fat-fighting power of black pepper has been explored in a new study from Sejong University in Korea. They found that a component of black-pepper, can block the formation of new fat cells. Learn more in the article Fat-Fighting Black Pepper (http://pilladvised.com/2012/05/fat-fighting-black-pepper/)
Jonathan Galland is Co-Founder and CEO of www.pilladvised.com
I never eat low fat foods. I would much rather have less of the real thing. I use a lot of olive oil too, which is supposed to be healthy as far as I know. And I only eat expensive, top quality sweets - which means I rarely do. I permit myself to eat desserts in restaurants, either sharing them or taking half the portion home, but I do not buy desserts or their makings at a grocery store.
I would like to lose another 10 lbs. just so i could wear my old college clothes, but my BMI is about 22 so I'm accepting this weight. I guess it all depends on whether one prefers food or fashion.
I live with my husband, but we eat very differently, so I'm almost always preparing food for one. I find it very helpful to do modular cooking. I cook up a full package of ground meat (for me it's turkey), use what I need for one meal, spread the rest on a cookie sheet, freeze, then put in a bag a freeze. I cook a full size of brown rice, quinoa, etc. And again, freeze several small portions. This way, I almost always have enough in the freezer that I can put together a nutritious, interesting meal in just a few minutes. Yes, there are the nights I look in the fridge and decide it should be a chinese carry out night, but not often.
You have to be willing to look at yourself honestly and see where, what, and why you are overeating. Then you can begin to change your habits step by step. My first step was to aim for nine servings of fruits and veggies a day. Some days it's tougher than others to reach that goal, but now I turn to the healthy stuff far more often than the junk I used to eat. I also paid attention to habits that encouraged me to eat junk, like going into certain stores when I'm super-hungry or stressed. Now I find something else to ease my stress like a two-minute meditation, and make sure I've eaten a healthy snack or meal before I shop. Most recently I started walking more. I've lost some weight without feeling deprived and I plan to keep right on changing until I reach my goal.