1. Camp Healthy Heart News
January 2011
In General Healthy’s Own Words
Listen up troops!
More than anything, it bothers me that January and New Year’s resolutions are about losing
weight. I think it should be a time to restart a focus on HEALTH. Focusing on weight is a
superficial measure...a reflection of a calorie imbalance. Focusing only on the measure...your
weight, doesn’t carry with it the heart and soul motivation that ultimately yields lasting
change. BEFORE you focus on your weight, focus on the reasons you should be healthy. If
you can find heartfelt reasons to get healthy and then do something about it, you’ll lose the
weight. BUT, since it is January, below are USA Today’s Top 25 Weight-Loss tips of all time.
TM
1. Set a realistic weight-loss goal. Most 11. Stock up on "impulse fruits." Keep Fighting for Your Health!
experts recommend aiming for half a pound to things like grapes, clementines, small ap- General Healthy Online!
2 pounds a week. ples, small bananas and pears around the
2. Keep track. Dieters who keep track of eve- house. These foods are easy to eat without Visit www.generalhealthy.com
rything they eat lose twice as much weight as having to do much cutting and slicing. Interact with the General at:
those who don't, research shows. 12. Make some stealth changes. That will www.twitter.com/generalhealthy
3. Motivate yourself. Get a pair of jeans or get everyone in the family eating healthier. www.facebook.com/generalhealthy
pants that are too tight and hang them in the Buy low-fat 1% or skim milk, low-fat cream
kitchen instead of the closet to keep yourself cheese and reduced-fat cheese instead of the
inspired. full-fat versions. Use them in recipes to cut 20. Treat yourself occasionally. If your
4. Get help from family and friends. Dieters the fat and calories. chocolate craving is getting to you, try diet
who have support from a partner at home lose 13. Cut out liquid calories. Eliminate soda hot-chocolate packets. If you need a treat,
more weight than those who don't, studies and sugary drinks such as sweetened iced go out for it or buy small prepackaged por-
show. tea, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages. tions of ice cream bars. If you love choco-
5. Move it to lose it. Research shows that Liven up the taste of water by adding lemon, late, consider keeping bite-size pieces in the
people who do physical activities such as lime, cucumber or mint. Choose skim and freezer.
walking or biking for two to four hours a 1% milk. 21. Dine at a table. Eat from a plate while
week during weight-loss efforts lose an extra 14. Practice the "Rule of One." When it seated at a table. Don't eat while driving,
3 to 5 pounds over a year. comes to high-calorie foods, you won't go lounging on the couch or standing at the
6. Pay attention to portions. A 3-ounce por- wrong if you allow one small treat a day. fridge.
tion of meat, poultry or fish is about the size That might be one cookie or a fun-sized 22. Dine out without pigging out. Figure
of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards; 1 candy bar. out what you are going to eat in advance.
teaspoon of butter or margarine, a standard 15. Pace, don't race. Force yourself to eat Get salad dressing on the side. Restaurants
postage stamp; a cup of cold cereal, berries or more slowly and savor each bite. usually put about one-quarter cup (4 table-
popcorn, a baseball; 4 -inch pancake or waffle, 16. Hydrate before meals. Drinking 16 spoons) of dressing on a salad, which is
the diameter of a CD. ounces, or two glasses, of water before often too many calories. Best to stick with 1
7. Clean out your pantry and refrigerator. meals may help you eat less. to 2 tablespoons. Dip your fork into the
Get rid of the foods that sabotage your weight 17. Downsize plates, bowls, glasses, silver- dressing and then into the salad.
loss. ware. Using smaller versions of your serv- 23. Get plenty of sleep. Scientists have
8. Create "a dinner deck." This would in- ing ware will help you eat less food natu- found that sleep deprivation increases levels
clude 10 favorite quick and healthful dinners rally. of a hunger hormone and decreases levels
written on index cards. Each card should list 18. Adopt the motto "after 8 is too late" of a hormone that makes you feel full. The
the ingredients for the recipe on one side and for snacks after dinner. effects may lead to overeating and weight
directions for making it on the other. 19. Buy a pedometer. Health experts rec- gain.
9. Avoid hunger. Eat regular meals and ommend taking at least 10,000 steps a day, 24 . Weigh yourself regularly. That's what
snacks. Make sure you have some protein which is roughly 4 to 5 miles, depending on successful dieters and those who manage to
foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans or chicken your stride length. maintain weight loss do. Some step on the
for most meals. Some research suggests that scales once a week. Others do so daily.
protein helps you feel full longer. 25. Reward yourself. When you meet your
Make your resolution and share it on incremental weight loss goals, say losing 5
10. Keep produce on hand. Place a bowl of
a totally cool new FACEBOOK pounds, treat yourself to something — but
vegetables such as broccoli, snap peas, cu-
cumbers or carrot sticks in the refrigerator. application from the folks at MeYou not food. Buy a CD or DVD you've been
You can eat them as a snack or when prepar- Health. Telling your “friends” adds the wanting or go out to a movie with a friend.
ing meals to take the edge off your hunger. accountability and support to help hold
you to your resolution/goal. Check it out! Source: USA TODAY research; nutrition
Proudly brought to you by: bloggers: registered dietitians Dawn Jack-
www.myresolution2011.com son Blatner, Elizabeth Ward, Bonnie
Taub-Dix and Keith Ayoob
414 E. Main Street Lancaster, OH 43130 (740) 689-8581