Make Smart Choices to Shed Unwanted PoundsNow that the holidays are over and those Christmas cookies & Valentine treats have migrated to the thighs, what will you do? You know your pant size is too big but… Free time to go work out? Zero. Extra money in the budget to spend on exercise equipment, clothing or DVD’s? $0. Will power? Fluctuates daily, sometimes hourly. Even so…you can shed unwanted pounds by making just a few changes. The best part? You don’t need to spend a fortune or turn your already hectic schedule upside down to do it! Use the next plate size down: In the past 30 years, plates have gone from 8.5 inches in diameter to about 12 inches. Our supersized plates encourage us to load up on a third more food. Bigger plates lead to bigger figures. Eat one meal from a smaller plate every day for at least a month. By switching from a 12-inch plate to a 10-inch plate, you’ll cut calories by about 20%. So, if your normal dinner on a 12-inch plate is around 800 calories, switch to a 10-inch plate and you’ll lose 18 pounds in a year. For a healthy well- balanced meal, fill half your plate with veggies, a quarter with meat or another protein, and the last quarter with starchy foods like pasta. At the supermarket: Do not go shopping when you are hungry. You will be more likely to make impulse and unhealthy purchases. Shop the outer aisles, aka the body- builder aisles. You may notice that the items on the outer aisles of the store are mostly fresh foods, such as meat, produce, and dairy. Be realistic & make smart choices. The convenience foods of the inner aisles can be replaced with conveniently pre- cut fruits, veggies or cheese. Calorie- free Beverages: Sometimes when you think you want something to munch, your body could actually be trying to tell you that you are dehydrated and need something to drink. Hydrating with a glass of water or other calorie- free beverage may tide you over without adding to your waistline. If you drink coffee or tea, try to drink it without any, or just smaller portions of dairy products. One serving of half & half is 2 tablespoons and 40 calories. If you use half & half, do you actually only use 2 tbsp? Most people tend to add more than that per cup, depending on the size of your cup, and drink more than one cup per day. Watch your portions! If you drink your coffee black, you will save yourself 280 calories per week assuming you drink one cup per day with a proper 2 tbsp portion of half & half. This works out to over 4 pounds per year! 2 cups per day would be 8 pounds. How are your weight loss resolutions going? Are you switching plates? Changing what and how (or maybe even when and where) you eat? Changing how you shop? Following a new diet regimen or challenge? I’d love to hear about your weight loss and diet resolutions, whatever they may be, and your strategies to keep them. Email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . About the author: Stephanie Roberts is mother to 3 young boys, and Office Manager at WeightSmart MD.
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