Trying to lose weight?
8 tips that can lead to success in your goal.
As the new year begins, millions of Americans will make the resolution to lose weight. To be successful, you must have a good understanding of your eating habits and how that relates to exercise.
“The most common problem with losing weight is a confusion about what people think are good foods or bad foods,” says Laura Vikmanis, RDN, LD, bariatric dietitian with Kettering Health Network Weight Loss Solutions. “Look for foods that offer protein and fiber. If the food is high in sugar, fat and/ or calories and offers little protein and fiber, limit eating it.”
Vikmanis offers some tips for losing weight in the new year.
1. Don’t diet. Fad diets simply don’t work. Make realistic, longterm, healthy eating choices. Take the time to prep your meals and be diligent when eating out. Consistency is vital to weight loss success.
2. Have a plan. Planning your meals helps you eat healthier and avoid grabbing fast food. Plan for three protein-vegetable meals per day and three protein snacks. If you know you’ll go more than four hours without a full meal, grab a protein-filled snack, which will give you energy and keep you from getting hungry.
3. Give protein the priority. Always eat protein first. It makes you feel full longer and helps to sustain blood sugar more evenly.
4. Beware of starches and carbohydrates. Limit potatoes and breads.
“All carbs turn into blood sugar.
Some have very little useful fiber and no protein,” Vikmanis explains. “People think, if it’s not bread, then it’s OK to eat. But we want to be less concerned about which starches to eat and eat the proteinrich food first.”
5. Don’t drink your calories. Another road block to healthy weight loss, liquid calories are more quickly absorbed into the blood stream, causing you to crave more sugary drinks or food. Water is best, but if that isn’t as appealing, look for other low- or no-calorie drinks.
6. Don’t let your emotions rule your stomach. “Many of our surgical patients come from a background of family-learned, emotional eating,” Vikmanis says. “Most were never taught good nutrition or how to make healthy food choices.”
7. Start moving. The benefits of exercise, alongside a healthy diet, cannot be understated. People who are successful at weight loss have found a balance between a healthy diet and regular exercise.
8. Don’t give up. Remember, you don’t have to be perfect at all of this. Creating healthy habits is a long-term lifestyle change, not a quick fix.
“Things get in the way of your plans,” says Vikmanis. “If you get derailed, get moving again. Learn what your boundaries are and do your best to get back to a healthy routine.”
Kettering Health Network is a faithbased, not-for-profit healthcare system. The network has eight hospitals: Grandview, Kettering, Sycamore, Southview, Greene Memorial, Fort Hamilton, Kettering Behavioral Health and Soin.