Leslie, what are the most popular diet resolutions you hear from people?
Without question, the top four diet-related New Year's resolutions are: 1) lose weight, 2) eat more fruits and vegetables, 3) drink more water and 4) eat less junk food or sweets. These are pretty big goals in and of themselves. My advice: Instead of vowing to change everything at once -- or deciding to follow a crash diet to shed excess pounds -- resolve to make smaller changes to your diet that are easy to implement and easy to stick with. Make smaller scale resolutions that will help you achieve those bigger picture goals.
So share with us a few New Year resolutions that we can all follow – and stick to in 2011….
Resolution #1: Drink a large glass of water as soon as you wake up and before each meal.
Replenishing your body with water in the morning helps get your entire system moving -- your digestive system, your metabolism, your circulation. But drinking water before eating a meal also helps you feel full and, as a result, can help prevent you from overeating at meals. Also most people don't drink enough water in the winter months because they don't feel thirsty. This simple resolution will also help people meet their daily water requirements
Resolution #2 Serve your dinner on a smaller plate.
This is a great strategy that really works. In fact, one of my clients did this for six weeks and lost 10 pounds. Serve your evening meal on a luncheon sized plate (seven to nine inches in diameter), rather than a full sized dinner plate. You'll put less food on the plate -- which means fewer calories -- but the plate will look full. And you'll find your appetite adjusts quickly to eating less food. You'll actually feel too full if you eat more. Using a smaller plate can save you 300 calories per day.
Resolution #3 Snack on frozen grapes after dinner.
For many people, snacking on sweets after dinner prevents them from losing weight. Even three small cookies add 250 calories each day – or more! To break the after dinner sweet habit, make a resolution to snack on 1 serving (20) of frozen grapes after dinner. You'll accomplish three things: you'll satisfy your sweet tooth, you'll break the evening cookie habit, and you'll sneak one fruit serving into your diet each day.
Resolution #4 Eat a 4 o'clock snack.
You may have heard this advice before but it's something that so many people don't make a habit of. Making your resolution to eat a mid afternoon snack will help you lose weight. My clients have told me it's one of the most important things they have done to help them achieve their weight loss goal. It prevents you from being hungry in the afternoon and especially when you get home from work. You're not ravenous and ready to eat a meal's worth of calories before dinner.
Keep your snack 150 to 200 calories and make sure it includes protein to keep you feeling full longer. Some great snack ideas that meet these criteria -- and taste good -- include apple slices with a tablespoon of peanut butter; 3 cups of air-popped popcorn sprinkled with 1 oz. of grated parmesan cheese; a smoothie made with milk, banana and a little peanut butter; 1 cup of vanilla yogurt with 1/2 cup of blueberries. And if you are on the go, there are a number of healthy energy bars made from real fruit and nuts (e.g. Larabar, Elevate Me Bar).
Resolution #5 Practice eating slowly.
Studies show that people who eat quickly -- and eat until they're full -- are three times more likely to be overweight. Eating slowly allows appetite-related hormones to kick in and tell your brain you've had enough to eat. Since it takes 20 minutes for these signals to register, if you eat too fast -- which many busy people do -- you're more likely to overeat before your body is aware of it. To help you lose weight in 2011, practice eating slowly.
Tip: after every bite, put down your knife and fork and chew thoroughly. Don't pick up that knife and fork until your mouth is 100 per cent empty. Take sips of water between bites.
Resolution #6 Plan for a weekly treat.
Swearing off your favourite food in January -- be it ice cream, chocolate or French fries -- will ultimately backfire. Putting a food on a forbidden list makes it more desirable and leads to feeling deprived. When you're stressed or bored you're more likely to crave what's taboo, which can lead to binge eating. Then the diet mentality sets in: you scold yourself for breaking your diet and resolve to start again tomorrow. Rather than banishing the foods you love, plan a weekly treat so you won't feel deprived. Doing so will help you stick to your weight loss plan!
Resolution #7 Don't snack from the box.
It's easy to do - grab the box of crackers or bag of chips and start snacking. But the larger the package, the more you are likely to eat. Plate the food and put the package away. That way you can see exactly how much you're eating.
Tip: put your snack - crackers, rice cakes, pretzels, etc - on a small plate. But read the nutrition label first to see how many one serving is. Then count them out and put them in a small dish.
