Ideas for "Lightening Up" this Spring

It's time for the second round of weight loss frenzy for the year. The first comes with New Year's resolutions and the second when bathing suit season is in sight! It strikes fear into the hearts of many, as do sleeveless shirts and shorts. I have noticed the buzz on TV and in conversation again. Sadly, this is just a passing, and somewhat painful, trend for most. The reason why? DIETS DON'T WORK! Period. They are too restrictive, gimmicky and/or require you to make things you don't like or would never want to continue eating. They make you hungry and tired and grumpy. Some even give you headaches and can cause health issues, such as fainting.

The other day I heard someone talking about a 500 calorie a day diet. My first thought? That isn't even close to enough food. The recommended caloric intake for someone who is not dieting is anywhere between 1500 and 2200 calories, depending on size and activity level. At 500 calories, your body is literally going to think it is starving. That will create less than optimal conditions in the body for weight loss, as your body will try to conserve energy to make up for the large deficit in intake/output. It is also going to make the poor dieter feel terrible. I would not recommend less than 1,000 calories a day, and 1,200 would be better. Five hundred calories is a good lunch goal. To put it another way, that is 2 cans of pop a day for you folks who like soda. It's less than 3 Slimfast. It's just not enough! I will quit soapboxing and get to the tips. The realistic tips.

To Slim Down and Get Healthier:

1. Eat a low calorie (1,000-1,200 calories/day) diet that consists of MOSTLY fruits and veggies. You also need to add lean protein. I am a big fan of eggs for this. Use 1 whole egg and 4 whites for an omelette base. You can add veggies, hot sauce or salsa to spice it up. Try a large baked potato with a very small amount of butter, some sea salt and broccoli for lunch. You can even get away with a tiny topper of cheese. Try to choose strong cheeses so that you get more flavor for less fat and calories. Parmesan works good for that.

2. Get some exercise. The biggest reason that you can lose weight on more calories is because you are burning more calories. I think it is ridiculous to diet without exercise. The exercise will make you look and feel better. It will also create muscle that will burn more calories and it will increase your metabolism.

3. Choose warm weather foods. Fresh fruits and veggies, salad, grilled lean meat- they all are great "diet" foods. You can marinate a chicken breast and add very few additional calories with a whole lot of taste. You can eat larger portions of fresh fruits and veggies for the same or fewer calories than a "winter" side like mac and cheese or mashed potatoes.

4. If you don't want to eat it, don't buy it. Buy healthy snacks only. Don't keep chips or sweets in the house. If they are there, you will come up with an excuse to eat them (bad day, good workout, whatever).

5. Avoid drinking your calories. NO fluffy coffee drinks. NO non-diet soda. NO, NO, NO! I would also avoid juice and sports drinks. If you want to lose weight, you need to keep your calories as food. Your body does not register calories that you drink in the form of juice or soda as filling. Therefore, you still feel hungry.

6. Pick an outside hobby- one that involves physical activity. Try gardening, golf, work on your car. It doesn't matter what you choose, just pick something more active than watching TV.

7. Plan ahead. Buy your groceries and plan your meals. It helps to cut up or wash your snacking fruits and veggies so that it is easy to reach for them. It's sad, but I have passed a healthy snack up more than once because I didn't feel like preparing it. If you do it as part of putting the groceries away, it will be ready when you are.

8. Get enough sleep. It is hard to stick to any plan when you are tired. Excuses are easier when you are "out of gas".

It is truly all about setting realistic goals. You cannot get healthy or thin or in-shape in a week or two. You need to choose things that you can stick with! Bring on the warm weather!!!!

For more information, send Dr. Moeller a message.