Carols Better Health Better Life

Friday, October 22, 2010

Losing your last 10 pounds

Here are some tips from the link above
Adds Houston-resident Charla Hodges, who lost and kept off those last 10 pounds, "Exercise and water, water, water."

1. Sticking to the Weight-Loss Program
Here are some tips for staying on track:

2. Write down what you eat. If you haven't been keeping a food journal to lose weight, this is the perfect time to start. People who write down the details of their diet and exercise habits are twice as successful than those who don't. (Don't forget portions and serving sizes!)

3. Look for little ways to save calories. Using mustard instead of mayonnaise or sugar-free sweetener instead of a packet of sugar will eventually add up to lost pounds.

4. Stick to the plate method. Banes advocates the plate method in which one-half of your plate should be vegetables, one-quarter a starch (whole grains preferred), and one-quarter lean protein. If you must go back for a second helping, only take vegetables.

5. Build exercise into your day. It's great if you can work out for 30 minutes or more, but try adding in more exercise where you can. Park slightly farther away from your destination to get more walking in; take the stairs instead of the elevator.
When you reach your weight-loss goal, you will want to celebrate, but Banes cautions that you must still be careful about how you do that. The last 10 pounds will come off if you work at it, and you will see that goal weight on the scale. But giving up your diet entirely will surely push up those pounds again. You now need to move into a new phase: learning how to maintain the healthy weight you worked so hard to achieve.