She recommends you get more
exercise and not worry about the
calories you burn. If you walk, walk
longer or faster. Combine more exercise
with portion-size reductions, and you’ll
see progress with your weight-loss.
MISTAKE
#4
___________
You can’t remember when
you last used the kitchen.
If you eat out a lot and rarely cook at
home, you risk eating more than you
should for weight-loss. Even if you
think you eat healthy at restaurants, a
couple of big things work against your
best efforts. According to Samaddar,
this one is a no brainer, since you have
more control over what goes into the
food at home than outside.
“First of all, the portions are just
too large at restaurants,” claims Gans.
To cut back on portions, she suggests
ordering two light appetizers rather
than ordering one appetizer and one
main dish. Or just don’t eat the whole
entrée. Take some of it home or split it
with a fellow diner.
The other problem? “You go to the
restaurant— hungry.” She tells people
to eat a little snack before going out so
that they don’t load up on bread while
waiting for a meal. A piece of string
cheese or fruit is all you need. “When
you’re not as hungry, you’ll be able to
make better choices about what to eat,”
she explains.
Your best bet is to try to eat at home
more often. You’ll know what’s in your
food and be able to control how it’s
made. Plus you’ll likely serve yourself a
much smaller portion than you would
receive in a restaurant.
“Don’t get discouraged.
We’re a society that likes instant
gratification but that just doesn’t work for
weight goals. You need patience.”
MISTAKE
#5
You think you eat much less
than your thinner friends.
You live on salads and other diet foods
and are overweight, but your friends
eat burgers and fries and never gain a
single kilo.
But are you really eating less than
everyone else? It could be that all those
diet foods are higher in calories than
you thought. Calories from healthy
foods add up too, especially if you eat
multiple portions.
Says, “while diet
chivda
and chips
are baked, they are still fattening, since
the calories come from potatoes and
rice.” She says that while you may
be consuming a calorie-controlled
diet, if all the calories come from
carbohydrates than proteins, it could
still be fattening. That’s because
proteins usually get converted into
muscle and carbs (especially refined)
into sugar if not burnt. She suggests
portion control.
“The average consumer is really not
aware of the correct portion sizes,” says
Gans. “They think they are eating
V2
cup
of rice as a side dish, while it actually
measures 1
V2
cups.”
If you suspect, that you may
underestimate what you eat, Gans
recommends you dish out what you
would normally eat and then measure
it. Typically, most people find that they
consume much more than they
thought they would.
Another tip is to do a plate check.
“When you dish up your plate, aim to
fill a quarter of it with carbohydrates,
a quarter with protein, and the other
half with vegetables,” Gans adds. She
suggests to also watch the size of the
plates you use. You’ll eat a lot more
from a 12-inch plate compared to a
9-inch plate.
MISTAKE #6
You give up if you hit a plateau
or if weight-loss is slow.
Losing five kilos in a week may happen
on reality TV shows, but that’s not
real life. Setting weight loss goals
that are too aggressive only leaves
you disappointed. Disappointment
could mean you give up on your diet
altogether, which always postpones
your fitness goal.
“Weight loss of half to one kilo a
week is what you can expect on most
diets,” says Gans. “If your weight isn’t
moving, you need to make a change
in what you’re doing.” That means
you need to cut back more on calories
and/or step up your exercise plan by
increasing the time or intensity. Some
people actually need to add calories
to their diets in order to get their
metabolism revved up. Diets that
are too low in calories, can actually
slow your metabolism because your
body thinks it is starving and wants
to conserve some energy. A couple of
more small snacks each day may help
you raise your metabolism so it burns
more calories.
“Don’t get discouraged,” Gans says.
“We’re a society that likes instant
gratification but that just doesn’t work
for weight goals. You need patience.” ■
BETTER HOMES AMD GARDENS | JANUARY 2012
117
