RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WEIGHT LOSS: EAT SMART

Eating more can help you realize your weight-loss goals. But you have to be smart about it. If you coat your wonderful lunch salad with a high-fat dressing, it’s not so wonderful anymore. If you slather your whole-grain roll with butter, it topples out of the healthy category and into the not-so-healthy one.

The easiest and fastest way to teach yourself to eat smart is to keep a food diary. In a small notebook, write down exactly when, what, and how much you eat. Was the fish broiled or fried? Did you have one serving of ice cream, or two … or three? Was your baked potato topped with plain low-fat yogurt and chives or with butter and sour cream?

You may be surprised at how your perception of what and how much you eat differs from what really goes into your mouth. You may never have realized how many handfuls of M&M’s you grab from the office candy dish over the course of a day. Or that the bottle of cola that you drink with your lunch contains two servings rather than one. Or that your usual-size portion of fish is three times larger than it should be. All of those extra calories add up.

Learn to recognize portion sizes. Weigh and measure foods until you know what a serving looks like. And always read labels. You’ll be amazed at where you’ll find loads of calories lurking.

Eating smart isn’t about eating boring, tasteless meals—or not eating at all. It’s about eating only when you’re hungry, making healthful food choices, and controlling your portions. It’s about being aware of why you’re eating. It’s about feeding your body properly and feeling good about yourself.

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