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Without a doubt, many of you reading this are joining
me on yet another quest to lose weight by trying to eat healthier
and exercise more. Anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight
knows it takes work. When I have been most successful, it has
been by making adjustments to my calorie intake as well as my
physical activity. It’s a pretty simple theory, really but
not always easy to do. At this time of year, we all aspire to
“do better,” but when the temperatures drop, it’s
often more comforting to snuggle a few extra minutes instead of
hitting the treadmill upon rising each morning. A bowl of hot,
creamy soup and grilled cheeses or a bowl of chicken and dumplings
are way more appealing than a cold salad for lunch or dinner.
To help us jump-start our “resolutions,” I’ve run
across a few tips from a magazine I clipped several years ago
that might be a big help. Whatever your attempts at “doing
better,” I wish you the happiest New Year ever.
Suggestions:
1. Order two appetizers: Instead of an entrée,
that is. It’s no big secret that serving sizes at restaurants
have grown exponentially over the last couple of decades. According
to a study at the UNC-Chapel Hill, the average hamburger is 23
percent larger today than it was in 1977, and soft drinks are
a whopping 50 percent bigger. Choose a pasta dish and salad or
soup from the appetizer column. The smaller sizes won’t wreak
havoc on your dietary goals.
2. One visit to the vending machine: Nibbling on single
servings is better than digging your way to the bottom of a megabag
of chips. Just don’t bring a whole roll of quarters along
during your next snack attack.
3. Start with salad...and eat less during the rest of the meal,
says a recent study from Pennsylvania State University. Researchers
there had 33 women eat a variation on the same garden salad 20
minutes before a main pasta course. When the salads were topped
with low-fat mozzarella and low-calorie Italian dressing instead
of high-fat alternatives, the women ate 10 percent fewer calories
over the course of the day.
4. Stick a fork in it: If you prefer your salad dressing
on the side, dip your fork into it before stabbing your greens
to cut calories. Plunging an already-loaded fork into the buttermilk
ranch will pick up more of the creamy condiment–and the calories
that come with it.
5. Watch coffee calories: The fancy concoctions that are
now the javas of choice for many people can contain as many calories
as an entire lunch. A 16-ounce Starbucks Caffé Mocha with
whole milk, for instance, packs 400 calories–the same number
as in a grilled-chicken sandwich–along with 22 grams of fat
and 33 grams of sugar. If a regular cup of joe bores you, slim
down your latte by going with skim or 2 percent milk.
6. Walk and talk: The next time a call on your cell phone
keeps you yakking for a while, slip on your walking shoes, and
stroll the halls at work or hoof it outside. If you did this for
10 minutes every workday at a moderate 3 mph pace, you’d
burn about 1,000 calories a month and lose 3 pounds a year.
7. Crack a nut: Dieters in a Harvard University study who
ate a handful of peanuts or mixed nuts daily were more likely
to keep weight off than a group whose regimen didn’t include
the high-fat snacks. Remember, though, that nuts are not only
rich in heart-healthy fats but also calorie-dense: Count out 15
almonds or cashews or 30 pistachios to keep your consumption in
check.
8. Don’t just sit there: The average person burns
100 calories per hour sitting and 140 per hour standing. Get on
your feet two hours a day while you work, and you could drop an
extra six pounds over the year.
9. Sleep well, lose more: According to a recent study in
The Lancet, sleep loss may hinder your efforts to lose extra pounds.
Insufficient shut-eye appears to increase production of the stress
hormone cortisol, which regulates appetite. High levels seem to
worsen bingeing and hunger; moreover, too little sleep could keep
your body from burning carbohydrates, which translates to more
stored body fat.
10. Double your protein: The high-protein, low-carb approach
may help keep you from losing muscle along with fat, according
to a new study published in The Journal of Nutrition. Twenty-four
overweight women ate 9 to 10 ounces of lean meat, three servings
of low-fat dairy, and at least five servings of vegetables a day–roughly
double the protein and half the carbs of the average American.
Over 10 weeks, the women lost 16 pounds, about the same number
as a control group who ate according to the USDA Food Guide Pyramid.
But the women who pumped up the protein lost 2 more pounds of
fat while maintaining a pound more of calorie-burning muscle than
the other subjects. The secret: the amino acid leucine, found
in beef, dairy, poultry, fish, and eggs. According to study author
Donald K. Layman, PhD, of the University of Illinois, it may help
preserve muscle tissue.
11. Keep an exercise journal: Writing down your fitness
achievements is a great way to track your progress, give yourself
positive feedback, and maintain focus on your goals.
Herbed
Lemon Chicken Breasts
6 (4 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breast
halves
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash® Lemon Pepper Seasoning Blend
1 Tbsp. unsalted margarine
1 medium fresh lemon, zested and juiced
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
Pat chicken breasts dry. Place flour and Mrs. Dash® Lemon
Pepper Seasoning Blend in a plate and mix thoroughly. Dredge chicken
breasts in flour mixture. Heat margarine in a large skillet and
add chicken. Brown chicken on both sides but do not cook through.
Transfer chicken to large casserole dish. In a bowl, mix zest
and juice from one lemon, chicken stock and brown sugar. Pour
over chicken. Bake for 30-35 minutes in 375°F preheated oven
or until chicken breasts are cooked through.
Don’t forget your copy of “Lovin’ Spoonful
. . . Cooking With Family and Friends,” a compilation
of nearly 400 mouth-watering recipes by Sherrie Norris.
It is available at all locations of High Country Media
– Boone, Banner Elk, West Jefferson, and at The
Avery Journal in Newland, all Boone Drugs, Black Bear
Books, Trailway Laundry, Wilcox Emporium,( top level,
booth 312-W,) and beginning June 15 at Mast Store locations.
EMAIL:
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