Experts agree that being too heavy is bad for your health. Having too much fat puts strain on the heart and can lead to serious health problems. More than 300,000 lives could be saved each year if everyone in America maintained a healthy weight! Next to smoking, obesity is the most common preventable cause of death in the United States.

Start with realistic, achievable goals. Don't expect to become "thin" overnight. Experts agree that slow, steady weight loss is healthier than a quick fix or remaining overweight. You should try to lose no more than a couple of pounds per week. While this can be frustrating, slow and steady weight loss is the only way to avoid "yo-yo dieting," where you lose a great deal of weight, only to regain it within a few months or years. There are no miracles in weight loss; go for steady progress toward a healthier life. Calories are the basic unit of energy within food. When you eat, your body converts calories into energy. Your body uses what it can and stores the rest in the form of fat. You should eat a low-calorie diet if you want to lose weight. A calorie is a calorie, whether it comes from a brownie or a serving of raw broccoli. The difference between them is the number of calories, nutrients, fat, and other ingredients in a typical serving

Calorie Counting

Some diets involve calorie counting -- figuring out the number of calories in each food item you eat, then adding up the total at the end of the day. This method shows:

* How quickly calories add up

* Where most of your calories come from

* What time of day you tend to eat the largest amount

This can be valuable information, particularly when you first start your weight loss program. The method allows you to make adjustments to your food consumption on a particular day or over time. Counting calories, however, quickly becomes tedious, and it does not necessarily train you to eat a healthy balance of foods. It is easy to become obsessed with the numbers and forget that the point is to eat healthily and vary your foods.

Eat less, or eat healthy?

Obviously, you can reduce calories simply by eating less. For example, if you usually eat french fries with lunch, order a smaller portion or throw some of them out. Although in theory this method should help you lose weight, it is not the healthiest or most successful. First of all, you are not eating a balanced, nutritious diet, nor are you lowering your risk for chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Furthermore, people who simply try to eat less, rather than changing food types, tend to get hungrier faster and snack more in between meals. Instead, replace unhealthy and fattening foods with healthier alternatives -- eat the same amount of food as before but eat lower-calorie foods with a healthier balance of nutrients. Using the example above, you would replace the french fries with a baked potato, carrots, an apple, or another healthier and lower-calorie food. Again, you are eating fewer calories, but you are also filling your stomach and adding variety to your diet.

Hints for eating nutritious foods

Since most Americans eat too much fat and sugar (both of which contribute to weight gain), replacing these with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables should lower your intake of calories and provide rich sources of vitamins and minerals at the same time. Also, protein should come from low-fat sources like fish and chicken.

What can I do to eat healthy?

Choose fresh fruits and vegetables over canned or processed foods. Food often loses its natural vitamins and minerals during processing. Fresh food is also more flavorful, so you will feel more satisfied.

Lower your fat intake by eating a plant-based diet. Animal products tend to be higher in saturated fat (and therefore calories) than most plant products.

Always eat regular meals, including breakfast Skipping meals delivers a double whammy to your weight loss efforts. When you skip meals, your body goes into "starvation mode," signaling your body to conserve as much energy as possible -- this builds up body fat.

Eat only in the dining room or at the kitchen table Don't eat in the bedroom or while watching TV. Confining yourself to the table will help you be more disciplined about eating. Keep food out of sight so you won't be tempted to eat it between meals.

Start with small portions You can always get more later, but your compulsion to "clean your plate" may encourage you to eat more than you should. And don't worry about wasting food, either -- it's better to leave food on your plate than to overeat.

Slow down It takes time for your body to recognize you have eaten and for the feeling of hunger to go away. Eating too quickly may cause you to eat more food over the same period of time. Savor your food. Not only does it take longer to eat when you fully enjoy each bite, but you may find eating to be more satisfying.

Incorporate dietary suppliments into your healthy eating regimen

 

Changing eating patterns can be extremely difficult. Food plays so many roles in our lives, and we've formed our eating habits over many years. It may be easier to make one food substitution at a time -- for example, switch from whole milk to skim milk, then eliminate butter from your diet. Once again, gradual progress is the key to successful weight loss and maintenance.