Sensible Weight Loss
If you need to lose weight, you can do so by eating fewer calories and less fat and exercising more. Review your favorite recipes. You probably can cut one-third to one-half the oil, butter or margarine called for in most dishes with no appreciable change in texture or flavor. Adding more herbs and spices can compensate for any loss of flavor. Most alcoholic drinks are fat-free, but their calories can add up. A 12-oz. light beer has about 90 calories; a 12-oz. regular beer, 146 calories; a gin and tonic, 171 calories; a screwdriver, 174 calories; and a wine cooler, 192 calories. Eating light and exercising regularly are equally important to weight loss. Find an exercise routine or sport you enjoy and schedule workouts on your weekly calendar. You'll be more likely to continue exercising if you vary your workouts and keep them fun.
Make wise menu selections. Most restaurant menus contain high- and low-fat choices. Be selective when choosing your enträe and side dishes. These words and phrases usually signal the least-healthful foods: breaded, pan-fried, deep-fried, buttered, crispy, creamy, au gratin, in cheese sauce or escalloped. Practice portion control. Most restaurant servings are two to three times too large. Keep calorie and fat totals reasonable by requesting a doggie bag for half your meal. Use discretion at salad bars. A simple green salad topped with fresh vegetables and low-calorie dressing averages about 100 calories and 2 gm. of fat. Pile on high-fat extras such as bacon bits, chopped eggs, mayonnaise-based pasta salads and regular dressing, and you'll consume as much as 700 calories and 30 gm. of fat.
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