Show Us Your Life: Diet/Wt. Loss Tips

Friday means "Show Us How You Live" over at Kelly's Korner.

Let me start out by saying I am a Registered Dietitian. I spent 4 years in school for this and one year long internship, followed by a comprehensive exam to gain this status. Anybody can call themselves a "nutritionist" because the read a book or lost 20#, but R.D.s WORKED for this and have not only the knowledge but the science to back us up. So be careful who you listen to and if it sounds too good to be true: IT IS!

It is hard for me to read and see what others "advice" is because everyone is looking for the "quick fix" drop 20# in two days diet. Guess what it DOES NOT exist. Losing weight and being healthy is a LIFESTYLE choice. Those who truly lose the weight and keep it off took years that's right YEARS to get it off and they continue to make lifestyle choices to keep their weight off.

With that said weight loss is simple calories in vs. calories out equation. You cut out 3500 calories you lose 1#.

Here are a few things that I believe sabotage people's "diet" attempts.

• Drinking your calories (i.e. sodas, coffees LOADED up with creams, sugars and syrups, milkshakes etc.)
• Using ginormous dinner plates. The smaller your plate the LESS you will put on it and you will find you got just as full as if you used the larger one.
• Eating out...enough said.
• Skipping meals (i.e. namely breakfast...this sets you up for failure)
• Banning yourself from the "bad" foods. You CAN have an Oreo, but notice I said A Oreo not entire sleeve. If you don't allow yourself some of the things you enjoy you will just quit or give up because of all the unrealistic rules you place on yourself.
  
• Not exercising

I could go on but you may be surprised how those few little changes can make a HUGE difference. I will end with some ideas to hopefully get you going!

• Try making a food journal...you will surprise yourself on how much you put in your mouth a day.
• Look for ways to exercise. Exercise is cumulative. Park your car further away from the store. Walk around your building at lunch. Take the stairs.
• Look for ways to swap out calories. Try some of the Lo-cal stuff (ie Skim milk, Crystal Lite, Splenda, Sugar-Free Jellos and puddings) you might like it. Even if it is just swapping out to a couple of those items it again adds up.
  

And remember it isn't going to change over night. Don't kill yourself trying to do everything at once. Build up to it. It all starts with ONE small change.