Mistake #1. Losing too much, too fast.

Ironically, losing too much weight too quickly can sabotage your diet. Recommendations vary, but if you’re losing more than 1-2 pounds a week, you’re probably losing weight too fast. Ask your doctor what the right rate is for you.

Mistake #2. Eating too few Calories

If you’re struggling to lose weight, fewer may sound like better, but that isn’t always the case. Drastically cutting your calories will cause your metabolism to slow, making weight loss even harder. Besides, if you cut your calories too much, you’ll have a very difficult time sticking with the diet. Instead, gradually cut your portion sizes and eliminate junk foods until you’re losing at a moderate rate.

Mistake #3. Depending on diet foods.

Not all diet foods are good for your weight loss, or your health. Read your labels. Often, light and lite foods aren’t much better than the full calorie versions. Some foods eliminate fat only to replace it with lots of sugar. Other diet foods are watered-down in taste, so you’re likely to use more of them than the full-calorie version.

Mistake #4. Skipping Exercise.

Getting more active will not only help you lose weight, it will help you stay toned and fit while you’re losing weight. Remember, your goal is to keep and build muscle, because muscle helps you look more toned and burn more fat.

Mistake #5. Not talking to your doctor.

Even if you’re healthy, you should talk to your doctor about losing weight. He can tell you what to watch out for, given your medical history. He may also be able to recommend nutrition and exercise classes that are available in your area. Many hospitals provide wellness centers for little or no cost that may benefit you.

Eating out can be a real challenge if you’re trying to watch what you eat. A little preparation and a few techniques to employ at the table can help you eat out without pigging out.

1. Eat something before you eat out. Yes, it seems counter-intuitive, but if you go to the restaurant hungry, you’re more likely to order more, and eat more. Try eating around 100 calories before you go. That might be a piece of fruit, an ounce of cheese, or something else relatively small.
2. Skip the bread. It’s easy to eat a full meal’s worth of calories just from the bread bowl. Try skipping it entirely if you can, or eat just a half of a roll if you just can’t resist.
3. Choose an appetizer or entree, but not both. The portion sizes at most restaurants are huge, so you really don’t need both. Choose one or the other.
4. Divide and conquer! Split your entree with your partner. Order one appetizer for everyone at the table. The same goes for dessert. If you just can’t resist, ask for a half-portion and split it with your date.
5. Instead of a typical appetizer, choose a garden salad or a soup with clear broth. Both will start to satisfy your appetite without adding lots of calories to the meal.
6. Avoid fried foods. Choose vegetables instead of fries or onion rings. Choose a baked meat instead of a fried one. You’ll save calories, and you’ll feel less weighed-down by your meal later.
7. Avoid breaded foods. Breaded foods are often fried, and the breading and grease add lots of calories to your meal.
8. Ask for gravies, sauces, and dressings on the side so you can better control how much of that you eat.
9. Avoid alcoholic beverages and sugared drinks. These can easily add 200-300 calories to your meal. Choose a diet drink or water instead.
10. Skip dessert. I know this is a tough one, but you can do it.
11. Don’t be a member of the “clean plate club.” Portion sizes are very large, so there’s no need to feel that you have to eat it all. If you want, ask that part be put in a carry-out container at the beginning of your meal.
12. Don’t nibble. After you’ve eaten as much as you want to, put your napkin over the food or ask your waitress to take it away. You’ll be less tempted to nibble as you socialize.

You know you need to exercise. You know it’s good for you, that you’ll feel better, even look better, if you do. It’s still tough to get up off the couch and just do it, isn’t it? Here are ten tips for motivating yourself to get moving.

1. Buy something to wear that you really like, but buy it a little too small. Choose something that fits but is a bit too snug for comfort and try it on every week or two until it fits well. Having something you want to wear soon can be a great motivator. Beware… If you choose something too small, you’ll get discouraged and give up.
2. Commit to some sort of challenge. Maybe you’ll do a 5k run or walk. Another option is to sign up to do a charity event. Whatever you choose, make the commitment and let other people know about it. Don’t sign up for anything too difficult for your fitness level.
3. Try a different exercise if you’re bored with what you’re doing.
4. When you feel particularly unwilling to exercise, stand in front of a full-length mirror naked. Yes, it sounds weird, but I bet you’ll be more eager to work out!
5. Give yourself a reward each time you exercise. You might allow yourself a half hour to watch a favorite show. Whatever you choose, just make sure it’s not a food reward.
6. Select a CD or an audio book that you only listen to while exercising. If the book is good, you’ll look forward to your workouts if only to find out what happens next.
7. List all the benefits of exercising and post it somewhere obvious, like the refrigerator or the bathroom mirror. Use it to remind yourself why you’re doing this.
8. Get a buddy to exercise with you. Help each other stay committed. You’ll be less likely to ditch your exercise session if someone else is counting on you.
9. Join a team. For some people, the added competition makes them less likely to skip their exercise sessions. It can also make it more fun!
10. Multi-task. Use your exercise time to walk to the store, get to know the neighborhood, walk the dog, etc.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated to work out?

Someone brings in a huge birthday cake, or maybe there are donuts by the coffee pot. A coworker wanders by with homemade fudge.

How do you resist all the treats that you’re tempted with each day?

It’s not easy, and you won’t always be able to resist. First off, don’t beat yourself up when you do reach for something. You ate something you didn’t intend to, but making yourself feel bad about it won’t help. In fact, the worse you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to reach for yet ANOTHER treat to make yourself feel better. Can anyone deny reaching for chocolate to self-medicate?

Take a minute and think about the treat. Imagine how it tastes. Now, imagine how you’ll feel AFTER you’ve eaten it. You might feel guilty about it, or disappointed that you ate it. Maybe the sugar will make you sluggish for the afternoon, or the salty snacks will cause you to feel bloated. Now, think about how you’ll feel if you say no to the treat. You’ll feel proud of yourself. You’ll avoid the guilt of eating something you didn’t really want to eat.

Finally, ask yourself, is the pleasure of eating it worth how you’ll feel afterward? This trick often helps me avoid the afternoon munchies.

You haven’t even lost the Thanksgiving weight and Christmas is right around the corner. Even more weight is inevitable, right?

Not necessarily. Yes, I put on a few pounds over the Thanksgiving holiday too, and I know myself well enough to realize that I’m not going to pass on all the Christmas goodies either. So, what can I do (and you!) to avoid putting on lots of weight I’ll just feel bad about come January? Continue reading →