Introduction

In Greek legend, Sisyphus was a mortal condemned by the gods to roll a heavy boulder to the top of a steep hill. At the summit, it would tumble to the bottom and he would start uphill again. These efforts are not unlike the weight loss cycle of dieting, regaining, and dieting again that many of us have experienced first hand.

Taking small steps toward weight loss

One common reason for the lack of permanent weight loss is that the dietary changes undertaken to lose weight are of such magnitude that they cannot be sustained.

Making a few small changes, however, is easier to maintain--and the results may be surprising. You can lose half a pound a week by shaving only 250 calories from your daily intake. Over a year, this represents a 25-pound (11 kg) drop; enough to offer significant health benefits and a slimmer profile. And if you were to increase your physical activity at the same time, you could maintain your weight while eating a few more calories, or stay at the same (reduced) caloric level and lose even more weight!

Calories you will never miss

How do you go about saving 250 calories a day? Here are twenty tips to get you started.

• Replace a cup of orange juice (112 calories) with a medium orange (60 calories).
• Scramble 1 egg and 1 egg white instead of 2 eggs and save 63 calories.
• Substitute 2 tablespoons of reduced fat milk (15 calories) for light cream (59 calories) in your coffee or tea.
• Instead of a bakery muffin (200 calories or more), toast 2 slices of whole wheat bread and spread with 2 teaspoons of jam (172 calories).
• Eliminate cheese from a sandwich (a 1-ounce slice averages 110 calories).
• Make your sandwich open-faced and save 70 calories.
• Opt for a cup of vegetable soup (72 calories) rather than a cup of creamy clam chowder (164 calories or more).
• Prepare tuna salad with a tablespoon of reduced-fat mayonaise (50 calories) or reduced-fat Italian dressing (26 calories) instead of regular mayonnaise (100 calories).
• Use one tablespoon of regular dressing on your salad instead of two and save 80 calories.
• Sautéed food in a nonstick skillet with a quick spray of vegetable oil (6 calories) instead of cooking it in 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil (60 calories).
• Save 40 calories by drinking 2-ounces of white wine mixed with sparkling water instead of a 4-ounce glass of wine. Or choose "lite" (reduced-calorie) beer instead of regular.
• Eat 3 oz. instead of 6 oz. of broiled salmon or T-bone steak and save 175 calories.
• Replace the ground beef in meatballs or meat loaf with ground turkey and save 97 calories per 3-oz serving.
• Have 1/2 cup of rice instead of a full cup and save 80 calories. Add extra steamed vegetables to cover your plate.
• Top a baked potato with 2 tablespoons of salsa (8 calories) instead of sour cream (52 calories).
• Eating out? Skip the roll and butter and save 120 calories.
• Eat a Fudgsicle (90 calories) for dessert instead of a 1/2 cup of chocolate ice cream (143 calories).
• Nibble a miniature chocolate bar (45 calories) instead of eating a full sized bar (90 calories or more).
• Buy chips and other snacks in 1-ounce bags. An extra handful or two from a larger bag adds 150 or more calories.
• Swap 1 oz of pretzels (111 calories) for an 81-calorie apple.

Source

The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food & Nutrition Guide
RL. Duyff, Minneapolis: Chronimed Publishing, 1998

Links

• Portion control: it's in your hands
• Losing Weight the Healthy Way
• Tufts University's
  Nutrition Navigator