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1. Know
the difference between weight loss myths and facts.
Can you lose 20 pounds
in a week? Not likely; a much more realistic goal is to lose one-half to two pounds
per week; it’s slower, but it’s more likely to come off and stay off.
Eat smaller, balanced meals instead of skipping meals to lose weight; it’s
more effective. Don’t expect to “eat all you want” and still lose
weight. You can eat a variety of foods, but the total amount of calories has to
be less than you use up every day. There is no such thing as “fat-burning”
foods. Exercise is what you need instead.
Source: NIDDK Weight-Loss and Nutrition
Myths,
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/myths
2.
Lose the diet – and the weight?
Can you lose weight by not dieting?
Perhaps – if instead, you eat only when hungry and stop when full; maintain
a variety of foods in your meals to keep them well-balanced; keep your portions
moderate; gravitate toward home-cooked meals without as much fat, sugar or salt
as commercial meals; take part in physical activity, and enjoy your ability to
move through the day; and trust your body. You can keep up this type of plan much
longer than a special diet, and best of all, you won’t have to spend your
day obsessed with the food you’re not eating.
Sources: Healthy Weight
Network: Healthy Weight Week, Jan 20-26, 2002, http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/hww.htm;
Normal Eating Nurtures Wellness, http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/handouts.htm#Top%2010%20Reasons%20Not%20to%20Diet
3.
How to Control Emotional Overeating
If you know you’re likely to
reach for food when you’re anxious or upset, avoid strict diets. These tend
to give you a sense of deprivation. Use a moderate diet with healthy snacks to
keep you going. Make a point of noticing emotional triggers that make you want
to eat – try writing them down. When they occur, grab a cool drink of water
to give you a chance to think, then begin an activity you’ve decided to substitute
for eating, such as a 15-minute walk, calling a friend, reading a chapter of a
book you enjoy or using the computer.
Source: Sandra Haber, PhD, How to Control
Emotional Overeating – Tricks for Staying on Track, Psychologists in Independent
Practice, a division of the American Psychological Association, http://www.division42.org/PublicArea/Info_Public/Tips/overeating_1.html
 4.
Serve up your daily fruit and vegetable servings
Fresh fruit and vegetables
are good choices, but sometimes they spoil before a busy person can eat them.
You can get canned fruits instead – look for those packed in water or juice,
not heavy syrup. Frozen vegetables are OK too, but skip those packaged with cheese,
butter or cream sauces. Try to eat two to four fruit and three to five vegetable
servings daily. One fruit serving is one medium-sized apple, orange or banana,
or ½ cup canned fruit, or ¾ cup fruit juice. One vegetable serving
is ½ cup cooked vegetables, or one cup raw leafy greens.
Source: NIDDK
Weight-Loss and Nutrition Myths,
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/myths/
5.
The Lowdown on Food Labels
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), a fat-free food must have less than 0.5 grams (g) of fat per serving. Low-fat
foods have 3 g or less per serving. Make sure you read the label to see how many
servings there are! Reduced-fat or less-fat foods must have at least 25 percent
less fat than the full-fat version. Light or lite foods may have fewer calories
or half the fat of the full-fat version. Or they may have 50 percent less sodium
content, or simply be clearer in color! Be sure to read labels to see what you’re
paying for!
Source: NIDDK Weight-Loss and Nutrition Myths,
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/myths
6.
Helping Your Overweight Child
Be supportive, not critical. Your child
should understand that you love and value him or her at any weight. Don’t
let your well-intentioned influence turn into another source of stress that drives
your child to eat for comfort. Your child knows better than anyone about his or
her weight, and needs your encouragement. Don’t single your child out for
lifestyle changes; put the whole family on a healthy diet with more physical activity.
If your child is self-conscious about some activities, choose others. Don’t
put your child on any restrictive diet, except as specifically recommended by
your health care professional.
Source: NIDDK, Helping Your Overweight Child
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/helpchld.htm
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