Smart Moves for Weight Loss Success

According to the Calorie Control Council, 69% of Americans are trying to lose weight. Even with so many people who have only one goal in mind, it's still confusing about which method will help with weight loss.

The Council says that fads and "quick fixes" in dieting are not the way to go. Sensible long-term lifestyle changes, like less calories and more exercise have more lasting and healthy effects.

All well and good, but where do we start to overhaul the lifestyle? The Council shares ten good tips for reshaping our behavior that will lead to those elusive lifestyle changes that everyone is talking about.

10 Tips to Reshape Behavior... from the Calorie Control Council

• Pan-fry or saute foods with a non-stick spray or low-calorie butter substitute. Bake or broil instead of frying.
• Eat high-fiber foods, such as a bran muffin instead of the morning donut.
• Use sugar substitutes when sweetening foods and beverages.
• Order from the light menus now offered at many restaurants, or purchase low-calorie or reduced-fat products at the grocery store.
• Try a meal plan using "exchange lists" based on foods grouped together according to similar food values. Most exchange lists include several "free" foods: those lower than 20 calories per serving, such as many low-calorie, sugar-free foods and beverages.
• Never skip meals. Eat three to six times a day in smaller portions to keep from getting hungry.
• Use a smaller plate at mealtime to satisfy your psychological need to see a full plate.
• Eat and chew slowly. Learn to stop eating before you feel full. (It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain that it is full!)
• Weigh yourself on a regular schedule, but don’t become a slave to your scale.
• Reward yourself with pleasures other than food--buy some new clothes, get a different hair style, see a movie, visit a friend, etc.

More from your Diabetes guide...

• Diet and Exercise Lowers Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
• Exercise and Diabetes: How Much is Enough?

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