7 tips for successful weight loss
The desire to lose weight must come from the individual. If you're truly ambivalent about making changes in your lifestyle or are doing this to please someone else, you're likely to fail. When making changes, decide what's right for your lifestyle. Your best friend's diet and exercise plan may be completely wrong for your habits and interests. The key is to find a system that works for you.
Don't blame yourself if you aren't perfect. If you once fail at your attempt to curtail your overeating, it doesn't mean you are a failure at weight control and that you should just give up. Accept that you made a poor choice, but don't let that poor choice influence the rest of your plan. The same holds true with exercise. Skipping a few workouts doesn't mean you can't get back on track. Weight control does not involve making perfect choices all the time; rather, it's about attempting to make good choices more often than poor ones.
Avoid surroundings where you know you're tempted to make poor food choices. Everyone has a time when we're most likely to overeat, whether it's the morning coffee break or after-work gathering with friends. Try to plan other activities or distractions for those times, or plan in advance how you're going to handle them and stick to it.
Surround yourself with people who support your efforts. Even our good friends can knowingly or unknowingly sabotage weight-loss attempts. Spend time with those people who will not pressure you to make poor food choices.
Decide on some nonfood rewards for yourself when you reach interim goals. For examples, at the end of the first week of healthy eating or after the first 5 pounds lost, buy yourself a new CD or book.
Stock your pantry and refrigerator with healthy foods. Get rid of the high-calorie, low-nutrition snacks like chips and candy. But don't forget to have plenty of healthier options available as well, such as popcorn (hold the butter, try Parmesan cheese sprinkles), low-fat cheese and yogurt, fruit, instant cocoa without added sugar, sugar-free popsicles or puddings, or whatever appeals to you when you're hungry for a snack.
Set small goals and focus on these rather than the "big picture." Decide where you want to be in a week or in a month, rather than focusing on the total amount of weight you'd like to lose.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
400 CALORIE LUNCHES
B.A.L.T.
Layer 3 strips bacon, 3 slices avocado, 4 lettuce leaves, 2 slices tomato and 2 tbsp olive oil mayonnaise (such as Hellmann's) between 2 slices whole-wheat bread. Eat with 1 cup strawberries drizzled with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.
Steak salad
Toss 1 1/4 cups greens, 1/4 cup each sliced carrot and red onion, 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, 2 oz grilled lean flank steak, 1 tbsp blue cheese, 3/4 cup corn and 2 tbsp vinaigrette.
Beef and swiss roll-ups
Toss 2 cups spinach, 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup sliced red onion tossed with 1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette. Eat with 3 slices roast beef individually rolled with 3 slices lowfat Swiss and a small whole-grain roll. Check out these 24 creative and healthy snack ideas!
Chicken and pasta salad
Toss 3 oz chopped precooked chicken breast, 1/2 cup each diced tomato and cucumber, 1/4 cup reduced-fat feta, 1 cup cooked whole-wheat pasta and 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette.
Mango-chicken wrap
Fill a whole-wheat wrap with 2 oz sliced cooked chicken breast, 2 tbsp olive oil mayo, 1 tsp fresh tarragon, 1/4 cup spinach, 1/4 cup sliced mango. Serve with 15 small pretzels.
Greek salad
Toss 1 cup lettuce; 1/2 cup each chopped cucumbers and grape tomatoes; 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 2 olives; 1/8 cup sliced red onion; 1 tbsp feta; 1/2 tsp chili powder; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar. Eat with 1/2 whole-wheat pita. Learn 20 ways to eat healthier right now!
Taco toss
Top 2 cups lettuce with 12 baked tortilla chips, crushed; 1/4 cup shredded 2 percent cheddar; 1/2 cup warm canned chili; 2 tbsp salsa; and 1 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt.
Shrimp salad
10 cooked shrimp; 1/3 avocado, sliced; 1 tbsp slivered almonds; 2 tbsp each diced red onion and carrot; 1 tbsp prepared sesame dressing, tossed with 2 cups greens; 3 whole-green crispbreads.
Loaded lentil soup
Heat 1 cup canned low-sodium lentil soup and, as it's cooking, stir in 1/4 cup diced carrot, 1 handful chopped fresh kale and 1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained. Enjoy with 3 whole-grain crackers topped with 1 oz shredded cheddar.
Global feast
Toss 1/2 cup cooked quinoa with 1/4 cup cannellini beans, rinsed and drained; 1/8 cup chopped red onion; 1/4 cup halved grape tomatoes; 1/4 cup artichoke hearts; 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp olive oil; 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil; and 2 tbsp feta. Serve with 1/2 cup seltzer mixed with 1/2 cup pomegranate juice.
Layer 3 strips bacon, 3 slices avocado, 4 lettuce leaves, 2 slices tomato and 2 tbsp olive oil mayonnaise (such as Hellmann's) between 2 slices whole-wheat bread. Eat with 1 cup strawberries drizzled with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.
Steak salad
Toss 1 1/4 cups greens, 1/4 cup each sliced carrot and red onion, 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, 2 oz grilled lean flank steak, 1 tbsp blue cheese, 3/4 cup corn and 2 tbsp vinaigrette.
Beef and swiss roll-ups
Toss 2 cups spinach, 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup sliced red onion tossed with 1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette. Eat with 3 slices roast beef individually rolled with 3 slices lowfat Swiss and a small whole-grain roll. Check out these 24 creative and healthy snack ideas!
Chicken and pasta salad
Toss 3 oz chopped precooked chicken breast, 1/2 cup each diced tomato and cucumber, 1/4 cup reduced-fat feta, 1 cup cooked whole-wheat pasta and 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette.
Mango-chicken wrap
Fill a whole-wheat wrap with 2 oz sliced cooked chicken breast, 2 tbsp olive oil mayo, 1 tsp fresh tarragon, 1/4 cup spinach, 1/4 cup sliced mango. Serve with 15 small pretzels.
Greek salad
Toss 1 cup lettuce; 1/2 cup each chopped cucumbers and grape tomatoes; 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 2 olives; 1/8 cup sliced red onion; 1 tbsp feta; 1/2 tsp chili powder; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar. Eat with 1/2 whole-wheat pita. Learn 20 ways to eat healthier right now!
Taco toss
Top 2 cups lettuce with 12 baked tortilla chips, crushed; 1/4 cup shredded 2 percent cheddar; 1/2 cup warm canned chili; 2 tbsp salsa; and 1 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt.
Shrimp salad
10 cooked shrimp; 1/3 avocado, sliced; 1 tbsp slivered almonds; 2 tbsp each diced red onion and carrot; 1 tbsp prepared sesame dressing, tossed with 2 cups greens; 3 whole-green crispbreads.
Loaded lentil soup
Heat 1 cup canned low-sodium lentil soup and, as it's cooking, stir in 1/4 cup diced carrot, 1 handful chopped fresh kale and 1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained. Enjoy with 3 whole-grain crackers topped with 1 oz shredded cheddar.
Global feast
Toss 1/2 cup cooked quinoa with 1/4 cup cannellini beans, rinsed and drained; 1/8 cup chopped red onion; 1/4 cup halved grape tomatoes; 1/4 cup artichoke hearts; 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp olive oil; 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil; and 2 tbsp feta. Serve with 1/2 cup seltzer mixed with 1/2 cup pomegranate juice.
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