In her new book, "Total Body Diet for Dummies," registered dietitian Victoria Shanta Retelny offers some practical advice for keeping extra pounds at bay.
"Maintaining a healthy body weight throughout life is a vital part of staying healthy," said Retelny, attending the recent Spring Assembly of the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Chicago. "So what can you do today to stay on a successful weight-loss path for life?"
A new 10-year study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine examined the weight-loss route of weight losers in the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks more than 10,000 individuals of long-term successful weight loss maintenance, who lost more than 30 pounds and kept it off for at least one year. The secret was consistent behavior changes long after the weight came off.
Retelny offers a few tips to keep weight off in a realistic and healthy way.
--Keep a food diary -- a notebook by your bedside or a food log on your computer or smartphone will work. Or try one of the food diary apps.
--Make a plan. Start with balancing meals and snacks with healthful foods form the food groups: whole grains, vegetables, fruits, proteins and low-fat dairy products.
--Cook the healthy way. Eating at home is better for your waistline and helps cut salt, saturated fat and sugar consumption. Data from the National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey found that regardless of where you dine out - fast food or full service restaurant -- consumers ate at least 200 calories more per day, plus sugar, fat and sodium intake was higher when dining out.
--Steer clear of temptations. Clear your cabinets of tempting foods or beverages, and replace unhealthy foods and beverages with healthier, individually portioned substitutes.
--Savor good foods and flavors. You can train your taste buds to enjoy less sugar, salt and fat over time.
--Stay active every day. Exercise is one of the top ways to maintain weight throughout a lifetime.
Q and A
Q: Will switching to sugar-free cakes and cookies help me lose weight?
A: Switching to sugar-free cakes and sweets is unlikely to lead to much, if any, weight loss. Sweeteners used in these products usually include a sugar alcohol, such as maltitol or sorbitol, which are not zero-calorie, but about half the calories of sugar. Besides, sugar-free baked goods contain significant calories from fat and refined grains. If you compare Nutrition Facts panels on similar types of regular and sugar-free cookies and cake mixes, you'll see that they usually differ by zero to 30 calories per standard serving. When you do compare the Nutrition Facts labels, look carefully. Sometimes the serving size of sugar-free baked goods is smaller, either with fewer cookies or with slightly smaller sizes per serving. Small amounts of calorie savings do add up to produce weight loss. But for most people trying to lose weight, there's generally no room for daily treats with 200 or more calories and little nutritional value. Choose only two regular cookies instead of three and you'll save more calories than you do by choosing sugar-free cookies. Other strategies include choosing a smaller portion of cake, splitting a slice with someone or skipping frosted cake and instead topping the cake with sliced fruit. You don't need to cut out all sweets in order to lose weight. Work on creating a healthy lifestyle in which you choose sweets less often. When you have them, slow down and really savor a small portion -- the true calorie-saving secret. -- American Institute for Cancer Research.
RECIPE
This recipe for Broiled Maple Dijon Salmon is from the Total Body Diet for Dummies. It's full of flavor and less than 200 calories.
Broiled Maple Dijon Salmon
2 (4 ounce) salmon filets
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 shallot, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley
Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat it with cooking spray or extra-virgin olive oil. Place the salmon filets on the baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup, shallots, mustard, thyme, smoked paprika and salt. Brush the maple mixture over the salmon filets. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and cook the filets approximately 10 minutes or to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Be sure not to overcook. Transfer the salmon to plates and garnish with parsley. Serves 2.
Per serving: 191 calories, 23 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 23 g protein, 4 g fat, 59 mg cholesterol, 155 mg sodium.
Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee in Springfield, Ill., and the media representative for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @Nutrition Rd. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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