Article # 502. Few Tips to Weight Loss

Few secret to weight Loss

There is no single way to lose weight and keep it off. Weight loss can only be achieved by changing your overall lifestyle, which includes your food choice, eating habits and physical activity. For optimal results, consult with your doctor or dietitian to help determine a weight-loss plan that is suited to your individual needs.

Aerobic Exercise

To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. Therefore, simply limiting your calorie intake is not usually the most effective strategy. The National Weight Control Registry monitors the lifestyle habits of members who have lost at least 30 lbs. and kept it off for at least one year. According to the NWCR, 54 percent of its members do at least 200 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week. Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, jogging, swimming, biking and running.

Low Energy Density Foods

Although cutting calories is a crucial element of weight-loss success, you also don't want to starve yourself. To balance the desire for satiety with the need to cut calories, choose low energy density foods to provide steady energy throughout the day. Low energy density foods are low in calories, but they tend to have high water content, which causes you to feel full. You can also eat larger portions of low energy density foods, since they contain fewer calories per gram than other high energy density options. Examples of low energy density foods include fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Portion Sizes

Minimize your portion sizes to avoid overeating, particularly with high-fat foods. It's easy to confuse portion size with serving size. For example, the serving size for a glass of milk is 8 oz., but if you pour yourself a 16-oz. glass, you're actually getting twice the calories and fat. At restaurants that tend to serve large portion sizes, ask your server for a to-go box before your meal even arrives, so you can set aside some of your meal for later. When you eat at home, set the table with small, pre-set portions instead of simply setting out a large bowl of food.

Beverage Selection

Lattes made with whole milk, soda, sweetened iced tea and even fruit juices contain more calories than you may think. Beverages can be quite threatening to successful weight loss, since they often contain high amounts of calories but are not as filling as solid foods. When reading beverage labels, remember that one container is not necessarily the same as one serving size. For example, although an 8-oz. serving size of chocolate low-fat milk may contain only 158 calories, a 12-oz. bottle or glass dramatically increases the calorie count.