| Quick Tips #6 | |
Our "Quick Tips" series brings you effective and easy-to-use weight loss tips you can begin putting to use right now! This installment covers portion control, how to drink fewer calories, healthy snacking, the importance of planning and more.
Even if you don't follow The Zone diet, it has something very important to teach us all: portion control. If you have read any of Dr. Sears' Zone books then you have probably noticed a diagram where a drawing of a plate is divided into a sort of pie chart. Sears shows how to portion out your carbs and protein with this diagram.
You can apply the same line of thinking to a low-fat diet, or, for that matter to no diet at all, just as a way to work towards healthier eating in general. Mentally dividing your plate into different sections this way helps you make sure your meals are well-balanced, which will keep your meals nutritious and satisfying. It will also help you practice portion control by letting you know when to say when as you are loading up your dinner plate.
Imagine a vertical line going through the middle of your plate; picture a horizontal line on one side of it. Fill up half your plate with raw or steamed veggies (Say no to butter and cheese toppings, though!). Cover the other half as follows: 1/4 whole grains like whole wheat pasta or bread, long grain rice, etc., and the other 1/4 with protein, like lean meat, chicken or fish. Your best choices are grilled, baked or boiled chicken or broiled fish if you're trying to reduce fat. Other protein-rich foods include low-fat dairy products, tofu and beans.
You can ruin a healthy diet by chug-a-lugging cola at every meal. A normal-sized bottle of soda can pack in around 350 calories. Go back for a large soda refill or two at your local fast food restaurant and you could swallow as many as 1,000 extra calories with your meal. If you're anything like me, diet soda is definitely a no-go. Instead, start cutting back until you only allow yourself one cup soda at only one meal a day. Or, have lunch with a friend and split a can of cola. The best alternative for soda is to drink water instead... not only is it calorie-free, it offers many other health benefits. Try adding a sprig of mint or a slice of lemon to make it more palatable.
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