10 Tips for Easier Weight Loss

By Sunil Bhoyrul, M.D., Scripps Health

Did you resolve to lose weight this year? Weight loss often tops the list of resolutions Americans make. Taking a realistic approach, making healthier choices and eating less can all help you achieve your goal. To help you stick to your resolution, try these ten tips.

1.       Avoid quick weight loss schemes. While eating nothing but cabbage soup or protein shakes for a week may help you drop pounds quickly, the results aren’t maintainable once you return to real food. Moreover, you may feel irritable, light-headed or just plain hungry the whole time, and eating fewer than 800 calories a day can cause serious health problems such as gallstones. For successful long-term weight loss, you need to change your eating habits permanently and learn how to eat healthy for life.  Start with one small change and build from there.  You can’t expect to change all your unhealthy habits overnight and when we try to, we are less likely to stick to the plan in the long term.

2.       Know how much you’re eating. Servings of pasta, rice and other packaged foods are often smaller than you’d expect. Check the Nutrition Facts label for information about serving sizes and calories, and stick with a single serving. Also, use the label to help you make healthier choices about fat, sugar and salt.

3.        “Fat-free” doesn’t mean low-calorie. In some cases, a low-fat or fat-free food may have fewer calories than its full-fat equivalent, but not always. In fact, they may have added sugar or starches that raise the calorie count even more. Plus, including small amounts of healthy fats like avocado or walnuts can help you feel fuller sooner, so you eat less.

4.       Slow down. It takes your body about 20 minutes to realize that it is no longer hungry and send the “I’m full” signal to your brain. When you eat quickly—especially if you are doing something else while you are eating—you tend to eat more. Eat mindfully, chewing every bite 15 to 20 times and enjoying the taste, smell and texture of your food.

5.       Try eating with your non-dominant hand.  If you’re a lefty, try eating with your right hand, and vice versa. This will definitely slow you down! It’s not easy to do, and really makes you pay attention to how much you are eating. Research from the University of Southern California found that moviegoers who ate popcorn with their non-dominant hand consumed less than those who used their dominant hand. 

6.       Start with soup. Research has shown that people who consume a bowl of low-calorie soup before a meal tend to reduce their total intake of calories by 20 percent. Soup helps to fill you up, so you may eat less. Of course, the type of soup matters. Choose a low-calorie variety such as vegetable or chicken noodle. Look for broth-based soups; avoid bisques or creams.

7.       Drink, then eat. A study found that overweight individuals who drank two cups of water before every meal lost more weight on average than those who did not. Water can help curb your appetite. Moreover, people often mistake thirst for hunger, and reach for a snack when a glass of water is really all they need. Add a small splash of fruit juice or squeeze of lemon to water if you want more flavor. 

8.       Build a healthier plate.  A restaurant-size serving of potatoes or a “gourmet” hamburger is generally much more than you need to (or should) eat. When you eat at home, cover half of your plate with vegetables and fruit, a quarter with lean protein, and a quarter with whole grains.  

9.       In a rush? Fast food meals aren’t always bad choices. If you need a quick meal out, read the calorie information that is now required on fast-food menus before you order. Look for places that offer fresh salads or build-your-own sandwiches. Choose grilled or baked chicken or fish, swap the fries for fruit or yogurt and drink water or a low-calorie beverage.

10.   Don’t sabotage your hard efforts. When you drown your salad in high-fat, high-calorie dressing or pour sour cream, cheese and bacon onto your baked potato, you’re defeating the purpose of making healthy choices. Look for better alternatives such as vinaigrettes or yogurt. Go easy on heavy or creamy toppings, butter, cream and salt, and your efforts will pay off sooner.

Sunil Bhoyrul, M.D., is a bariatric surgeon with Scripps Health. For more information or a physician referral, call 1-800-SCRIPPS or visit www.scripps.org.