This edition of "Ask A Pro" was taken from Self Magazine.com. The following is an interview with Dr. Joy Bauer, author of Joy Bauer's Food Cures (Rodale) and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Total Nutrition (Alpha Books). Below are Self Magazine.com reader questions and Dr. Bauer's responses.
Self Magazine Reader: What should I do first when my weight starts to creep up?
Dr. Bauer: First, identify the reasons for the change. Some culprits are easy to spot, such as canoodling with Ben & Jerry, but a food diary can help you uncover subtler sources of added calories, like inflated portions or extra cocktails. Scaling back your intake to your pregain level should halt or even reverse the trend, but for faster results, also try these three easy calorie-trimmers:
SM Reader: Make every sandwich open-faced.
Dr. B: Bypass the top slice of bread to save 70 calories. If you eat a sandwich a day for lunch, you'll shave off 490 calories a week.
Eat slowly. Turn off the TV, have a seat and savor the flavor of every bite. Research shows that women take in about 67 fewer calories per meal when they slow down.
Skip salad dressing. Use balsamic vinegar instead. Dressing can be 75 or more calories per tablespoon, so this trick saves at least 150 calories per salad. You're feeling lighter already!
SM Reader: How can I shake these last 5 pounds?
Dr. B: Use my 25 percent solution: Leave 25 percent of your meal on the plate at lunch and dinner (only nonstarchy veggies such as spinach, broccoli and peppers are exempt from the rule), and increase your workout time by 25 percent. Little changes can add up: If you eat 6 ounces of sirloin instead of 8 and only 3/4 of a baked potato, you trim nearly 200 calories off your meal. Do this every day for a month and you will shave off 3 pounds. Factor in the extra exercise, too, and you'll be well on your way to dropping those final 5.
SM Reader: How can I quickly slim down?
Dr. B: Drastically cutting carbs is speediest, but it's not the most effective nor the healthiest way to lose weight for good. That's because most of what you shed at first is water weight; water clings to carbohydrates in your tissues, and when you deplete your carb reserves, that water has nowhere to go but out. As soon as you begin to eat carbs again, those pounds will come back. That said, limiting refined carbs and fried foods can help you lose.
SM Reader: Are there any safe diet pills that work?
Dr. B: Over-the-counter weight loss pills are more likely to trim your wallet than your waistline. And most come with side effects, including heart rate irregularity, insomnia and nervousness. Taking prescription pills may be safer, but they can hike blood pressure or cause bowel and other socially distressing problems. A sure bet for your money: Hit the gym three times a week. Results are guaranteed!
SM Reader: What's the biggest dieting mistake?Dr. B: Not eating enough. Going below 1,000 calories a day can backfire because it's nearly impossible to maintain such a restrictive diet. Even if you're able to stick to a starvation plan, it's counterproductive: Your metabolism hits the brakes when your body detects too little food coming in, which impedes weight loss efforts long-term. Plus, your body may eventually begin to raid its own muscle stores for the energy it needs. The best news I can give dieters: You can eat plenty of healthy foods and still lose weight.
SM Reader: What is your favorite trick for warding off extra pounds?
Dr. B: Give away all your fat clothes. By keeping them around, you're sending yourself the message that gaining weight is inevitable. It's not!
SM Reader: I feel as if my appetite changes with the season. Is it all in my mind?
Dr. B: Nope, it's true: Most of us want to eat more in cool weather and less when it's warm. That's because when you eat, your internal temperature rises—great in winter, less so in summer. But aside from body heat, psychology may play a part. Bundling up in a sweater may make you relax about consuming more, whereas putting on a tank top is incentive to eat less. Regardless of the weather, make healthy food choices, watch portions and exercise. Note: If your appetite increases in the late fall and persists into spring and is accompanied by depression, you may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). If you do, your doctor can suggest effective treatment options.
SM Reader: Will drinking water really fill me up and keep me from overeating?
Dr. B: Doubtful. Guzzling H2O has no proven effect on satiety, shows research from Penn State University at University Park. What can keep you feeling satisfied, though, are foods with high water content, such as fruit, veggies and soup. They take up more room than drier foods, and they exit the stomach more slowly than pure liquid. Start dinner with soup, have steamed veggies with your main dish and finish up with berries. You will stay full and may drop a few pounds.
SM Reader: I am watching my calories and wondering what my best bet is: beer, liquor or wine?
Dr. B: Ounce for ounce, beer turns out to have the fewest calories (13 for regular, 9 for light), followed by wine (25) and liquor (64 to 82). But when you consider how much you're typically served of each, you may be better off ordering a cocktail. That's because a drink containing a jigger of alcohol, mixed with water, seltzer or diet soda, will have no more than 124 calories—roughly 25 calories less than a 6-ounce glass of wine or a 12-ounce bottle of beer. (Light beer, with only 103 calories per bottle, is also a good choice.) If you like your drinks mixed with regular soda or juice, however, beware: You could slurp down 300 or more calories.
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