San
Diego – Tired of fad diets that help you drop pounds only temporarily?
Ready to lose weight in a healthy way? IDEA Health & Fitness Association
suggests you get off on the right foot by learning these principles
of weight management as explained by Ellie Zografakis, RD, LD, co-owner
of Nutriformance in St. Louis.
1. Decrease
Your Caloric Intake. To lose weight, you must create a negative caloric
balance, or caloric deficit. In other words, the amount of energy that
you consume from your food and drinks must be less than the amount of
energy that you use to exercise and live your everyday life. Although
you can attain a caloric deficit by increasing your amount of exercise,
most attain it by altering what they eat. Generally, women need 1,400
to 2,000 calories per day, and men need 1,600 to 2,000 calories per
day. People with very active lifestyles need more.
Despite the many diets promoted today, most reputable health organizations,
including the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and American Heart
Association, continue to recommend a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet
(55% carbohydrate, 20% protein and 25% fat). The ADA also recommends
losing no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week to ensure that any weight
lost is not lean body mass but fat mass. According to most nutrition
experts, to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, you should consume 500 calories
fewer than normal every day, which amount to 3,500 calories fewer than
normal every week.
2. Monitor
Your Portion/Serving Sizes. Confused about what an adequate portion
of food is? You’re not alone; in light of the “super-sizes” available
in many fast-food restaurants, it’s hard to tell. Many are surprised
that, for example, the serving size of meat recommended for one meal
for an adult is only 3 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards. Check
out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid at www.nal.usda.gov:8001/py/pmap.htm
for other facts and recommended serving sizes.
3. Keep
a Food Journal. Keeping a record of the foods that you eat can help
make you aware of your calorie consumption so you can reduce it; many
find it helpful to record the amount of calories that they consume in
the first few weeks of a weight loss program. A registered dietitian
can then review your journal not only to help find the factors that
trigger your desire for certain foods but also to help ensure that you
plan the proper portion sizes to lose weight.
4. Focus
on Body Composition. How do you know whether or not you are losing weight?
A typical bathroom scale won’t work by itself; a scale indicates only
the number of pounds, which does not clarify what those pounds are: fat
or muscle. Furthermore, a scale often shows mere shifts in water retention,
which are temporary and do not reflect changes in one’s amount of body
fat. The only way to get an accurate picture is to measure your body composition
to determine your percentage of body fat. You may want your body composition
measured every 6 weeks; that should be enough time for you to see changes.
Ask your personal trainer or another reputable fitness professional whether
or not she is trained to measure you with skin calipers, a method considered
easy and accurate when performed correctly.
IDEA is
the world's leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals
with more than 19,000 members in over 80 countries. Since 1982, IDEA
has provided health and fitness professionals with pertinent information,
educational opportunities, career development programs and industry
leadership while helping them enhance the quality of life worldwide
through safe, effective fitness and healthy lifestyle programs. For
more information on IDEA events, publications, educational products,
member services or other activities, visit the IDEA website at: www.IDEAfit.com.
