Guest guest Posted June 13, 2004 Report Share Posted June 13, 2004 > > 25 Ways to Lose Weight > Everyday ways you haven’t heard of— and they work! > > By Lambeth Hochwald > > When it comes to losing weight, a little inspiration can go a long, long > way. So we looked into the latest studies, combed the most intriguing > research > and interviewed real women on how they shed extra pounds to come up with 25 > > winning weight-loss tips that are well worth trying. > > Remember to always check with your doctor before beginning any diet or > exercise program. > > 1. Put the kettle on. > Drinking green tea (which is also known for its powerful cancer-fighting > compounds) may help you burn more calories by inducing slight changes in > metabolism, according to researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in > Houston. > > 2. Choose cereal. > Eating cold cereal with skim milk for breakfast and as a replacement for > lunch or dinner can help jump-start your diet, according to a Purdue > University > study released last fall. The men and women in the study, who all ate > Special > K, lost an average of six pounds in two weeks. > > 3. Consider peanut butter. > Foods rich in monounsaturated fats (including nuts, peanut butter, olive > and > canola oils and avocados) can help you lose weight, according to a study > conducted at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Researchers studied > 101 > overweight people who were divided into two groups. One group was put on a > lowfat diet that got about 20 percent of its calories from fat; the other > followed > a diet that got 35 percent of its calories from fat, mostly the > monounsaturated kind. While both groups of women lost an average of 11 > pounds in the > first year, only those on the so-called “peanut butter†diet were able to > keep > the weight off for 18 months or longer. > > 4. Keep sipping. > Experts say you should drink enough water to equal half of your body weight > > in ounces. If you weigh 160 pounds, aim to drink 80 ounces a day. One way > to > keep tabs: Drink fluids with each meal and keep a water bottle with you at > other times so you remember to drink, suggests Glenn, M.S., R.D., > L.D., a registered dietitian at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. Drinking > adequate > water will help keep you from mistaking thirst for hunger, which is a > common > pitfall. > > 5. Prioritize your workouts. > “Once I put my workouts in my datebook, I found myself getting to the gym > and enjoying my time there,†says Pam Silvestri, 37, a public affairs > manager > in Dallas, who lost 15 pounds last year. “I consider my workouts just as > important as any other business meeting.†> > 6. Pump up the volume. > Foods with high water or fiber content tend to fill you up faster, > according > to researchers at Penn State University. The idea here is that you’ll eat > less of (and it’ll take longer to eat) a spinach omelet versus a plate of > scrambled eggs. > > 7. Reach for dairy. > Lowfat dairy products can be among the best weight-loss staples, according > to researchers at Purdue University who studied a group of women for two > years. Those who met the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for calcium > (1,000 mg) > and ate less than 1,900 calories a day lost an average of six pounds, while > > women who consumed the same amount of calories but less calcium actually > ended > up gaining weight. Researchers speculate that calcium may help promote the > breakdown of the body’s fat stores. > > 8. Change your morning routine. > Boston public relations executive Sherry Moskowitz, 24, switched from > drinking a large coffee with cream every day to a large cup of tea without > milk or > cream. “I still treat myself to coffee on the weekends, but during the week > I > get the same amount of caffeine with tea, without the added fat or calories. > †> Just by switching her morning beverage, she cut about 250 calories a week. > > 9. Get fiber first thing. > “The easiest place to start getting the thirty grams of fiber you need > every > day is at breakfast,†says Glenn. “Look for a high-fiber whole-grain > cereal > or bread, which will keep you feeling fuller longer.†> > 10. Aim for 30-40-30. > A University of Illinois study revealed that overweight women who ate 1,700 > > calories comprised of 30 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrates and 30 > percent fat lost 18 percent more body fat than those who ate the same > number of > calories but a higher percentage of carbs. > > 11. Add protein to your meals. > Every meal or snack should include protein, says Glenn, such as three to > four ounces of chicken, fish, peanut butter or lowfat cheese. “Protein > slows > down digestion so you’ll feel fuller longer,†she says. > > 12. Fill half of your dinner plate with vegetables. > You’ll increase your vegetables (the lowest-calorie category) and decrease > your calories. “Rather than just one, you may want to make two vegetables > at > every meal,†recommends Cathy Nonas, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian at > St. > Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. “The other half of your plate > could be equal parts protein and starch.†> > 13. Skip the high-calorie drinks. > “There are approximately nine packets of sugar and close to one hundred and > > fifty calories in one twelve-ounce can of soda or juice,†says Netty > Levine, > M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los > Angeles. Smoothies and specialty coffee drinks often contain 250 to 500 > calories, > and that’s not including the whipped cream. > > 14. Weigh down your remote. > By attaching a 2-pound weight to your remote (with a piece of string or a > rubber band), you’ll get a little exercise every time you lift it, says > Nonas. “ > Sometimes people will lift the weight a couple of times between channels or > > will stand and walk around with it. It gets you going and moving.†> > 15. Consider the Rule of Fives. > “Five minutes into a meal, put your fork down and assess the situation,†> says Dawn , R.D., L.D., a nutrition and exercise specialist at > Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute in Chicago. “Think about whether > you’re > rushing or whether you’re enjoying your meal enough. Lots of times, you’re > > already full but you’re still eating because you’re a ‘clean-plate-club’ > person. > Instead, try to leave at least five bites behind. You’ll save at least 200 > calories in that course alone.†> > 16. Limit alcohol. > Bonnie Littman, 35, is a paralegal in New York City who used to go out a > lot. “On the weekends, I’d drink too much and then I’d eat late at night,†> she > says. “To make things worse, a close friend used to live next door and she > was my late-night eating buddy. Now I try to follow a pretty strict diet—I’ > ve > lost about thirty pounds since I changed my diet last summer, and I only > treat myself to a glass of wine or hamburger every once in a while.†> > 17. Set a kitchen curfew. > If you’re tempted to go back to the kitchen after dinner’s done, place a > piece of masking tape across your kitchen doorway—at eye level, says Nonas. > You’ > ll avoid adding hundreds of calories from late-night snacks. “Taping the > door will remind you not to go back into the kitchen. It doesn’t mean you > can’ > t, but you’ll think twice about it.†> > 18. Reach for a breath mint after a meal. > This will trick your taste buds into thinking you’re done eating, says > Platzman, M.S., R.D., nutrition programs manager for New York Sports > Clubs > in New York City. “Anything with a fresh taste, including a breath mint, > gum > or toothpaste, will signal to your brain that dinner is over,†she says. “ > Since the flavor of your meal is no longer in your mouth, you won’t crave > the > food that you were just eating.†> > 19. Stow the scale. > “I don’t have a scale in my house, and when I go to the doctor, I get on > the scale backward so I don’t see the number,†says Aurora , 36, a > marketing and communications consultant in Pasadena, California, who has > lost 15 > pounds in the last 10 months. “Now I’m able to focus on doing healthy > things > like eating right and exercising for the right reasons—because it’s good > for me. I don’t need the number to know what I’m doing is effective.†> > 20. Cook more than you can eat. > If you freeze extra portions of main dishes, you’ll save hundreds of > calories, says Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., president of Personalized > Nutrition, > a weight-loss and nutrition counseling service in Washington, DC. “Keeping > pre-prepared dinners on hand will mean you’ll be less likely > to order high-calorie meals in restaurants or grab calorie-laden > convenience > foods from your cupboards,†she says. > > 21. Snack smart. > Keeping some staples, like grapes, mission figs, almonds, apples, peanut > butter or herbal tea with honey, around will help you stay focused without > overdoing it, says Silandara Bartlett, 25, a news and Web specialist at the > > Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, who lost 15 pounds last > year. > > 22. Eat with your opposite hand. > You’ll automatically slow down and experience fullness and enjoy what you’ > re eating, says Michele L. Trankina, Ph.D., a nutritionist in San . > If > you’re ambidextrous, try eating with chopsticks. “Most of the time, we don’ > t > let ourselves feel full because we eat on automatic pilot,†she says. > > 23. Walk, don’t run. > A recent study conducted at Washington University in St. Louis found that > those women who walked rather than jogged (although both moved at a > 12-minute-mile pace) burned 4 percent more calories than the runners. > > 24. Let yourself feel hungry. > “I don’t let my hunger go until I feel my stomach rumbling, but sometimes > when I’m hungry late at night, I realize I’m not as hungry as I think,†> says > Cushman, 45, a chef in Miami Beach who lost 10 pounds over a > two-month > period. “It’s important to really think about that rather than acting on > it > immediately and reaching for a snack.†> > 25. Spice up your meals. > Adding cayenne pepper and salsa to your meals may boost your metabolism. In > > one recent Canadian study, two groups of women were fed a stir-fry meal. > Those who ate the spicier meal ended up burning more calories and fat than > those > who ate the blander meal. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.