Weighing in on New Year's Resolutions

Did you make a New Year's resolution to lose weight and get more exercise? If so, you are not alone.... It's probably no surprise that this is among the top New Year's resolutions that Americans make every year. And no wonder. In the past 20 years, there's been a significant shift in portion size of the foods that we eat. Many people seem to believe the adage that "If a little is good for us, then a lot must be better." Don't fool yourself. The foods we eat contain calories, and when we eat more calories than our body needs, we gain weight. 

A healthy weight is a balancing act between the amount of food we consume and the physical activity we get every day. Just eating 100 extra calories a day for a year can result in a weight gain of 10 pounds! That may not sound like much, but if you put on 10 pounds a year for five years, by the year 2016, you will have gained 50 pounds.

How can we curb this steady weight gain??

We know that eating healthy and being physically active is good for our health. However, as determined as we are to stick to our resolutions to eat better, lose weight, and exercise more, these good intentions often fall by the wayside because we over commit, have unrealistic goals, or are too vague and non-specific about what we hope to achieve. The basic premise for maintaining weight is to balance the calories you take in with the calories you expend through exercise and physical activity. It is simple to make small lifestyle changes that have big benefits on overall health. All it takes is walking an extra 2,000 steps and eating smarter by consuming 100 fewer calories each day.

If you want an idea of how many calories you need each day, visit the United States Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid web site at http://www.mypyramid.gov/ and click on "Get a personalized plan" in the top right-hand corner of the page. You will need to answer three questions about gender, age, and level of physical activity. Once you plug in your responses and submit them to the web site, you will receive a MyPyramid plan tailored to your individual calorie needs.

Some ways you can cut 100 calories Include:

Drink nonfat or skim milk instead of whole milk.
--Substitute diet soda for regular soda. Or drink water.
--Leave three to four bites on your plate.
--Snack on fresh vegetables or fruits instead of chips, crackers, or cookies.
--When eating out, choose a side salad rather than chips, fries, or bread.

Remember, your gender, age, and physical activity level determine your calorie needs and the amount of food you should eat. One key to making wise food choices is to know how much you currently are eating, as well as how much you should be eating. This is especially important if you are trying to lose weight or maintain your weight.
One important factor related to weight gain is portion size. Many people feel that the bigger the portion, the better. But is this really true? Not if you are trying to manage your weight. To get or keep your weight within a healthy range, eat sensible portions.
That's easy to say, but not always so easy to do. Words like "serving" and "portion" often are used to describe what we eat.

A "portion" is the amount of food you choose to eat. There is no single right or wrong portion size. A "serving" is a standard amount used to identify how many calories and nutrients are in a food and helps provide a guideline as to acceptable portion size.

Some tips on choosing sensible portion sizes include:

Watch your portion size. Opt for the small size rather than large or jumbo sizes.
Remember that water is always a good option for quenching your thirst and is always a good alternative to high-calorie beverages. If main dish portions are larger than you want, order an appetizer or side dish instead or share a main dish with a friend.
Resign from the "clean your plate club." When you've eaten enough, leave the rest. If you can chill the extra food right away, take it home in a "doggie bag."
Ask for salad dressing to be served "on the side," so you can add only as much as you want. Order an item from the menu instead of the "all-you-can-eat" buffet.

Measure your food occasionally using measuring cups or a small scale. This will help you better guesstimate portion size next time you prepare these foods.
Be especially careful to limit portions of foods high in calories, such as cookies, cakes, and other sweets, as well as fats, oils, and spreads.
Use a smaller plate for your meal.
Put sensible portions on your plate at the beginning of the meal, and don't take seconds.
Eat slowly to savor every bite.
Move more and eat smarter for a healthier you in 2011