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Jan 21, 2009
We're more than halfway through January. On the first, did you decide to lower the numbers appearing on your bathroom scale? If so, here are some tips and ideas based on my 1990 and 2005 weight loss experiences that may help make your scale's numbers head in the right direction.
* Have a r-e-a-l-l-y good reason to lose weight. Vanity doesn't count, nor does losing weight for a friend, or relative. I came to terms with why I gained weight -- I'm a compulsive over-eater.
And that compulsion was and still can be triggered by my emotions. Being aware of my reasons for gaining weight made it more likely for me to succeed. And I wanted my life back, the one I enjoyed when my weight was near normal for almost 10 years.
n Join a weight-loss program that meets your needs. I wanted a support group to cheer me on when I lost weight and help me figure out what happened when I didn't.
I also built what I named "Team Don," a group of friends, relatives and professionals who assisted me along my journey. Build your own team.
* Don't skip meals, ever. Start your day with breakfast and have at least three daily meals, along with two healthy snacks (such as a reduced-fat cheese stick and an apple), especially if you're feeling hungry. Two good reasons: Your metabolic engine doesn't start until you eat, so why wait? And if you're hungry, you'll make bad eating decisions.
* Monitor portions carefully. I have a digital scale in my kitchen and still weigh almost everything I'm going to eat. It's hard to know what an ounce of breakfast cereal "looks" like. A scale makes it simple and accurate.
It's still a calories-in, calories-out world.
* Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. This can be as simple as heading out to an indoor mall during inclement winter weather to walk for 30 to 45 minutes (steering way clear of the food court, of course), to joining a fitness or wellness center. For that, find one that you like, but that is also close to your home. Time pressures can easily keep you from working out, and convenience keeps that to a minimum.
At first, join on a month-to-month basis and see if you truly like it. Once convinced you've made the right decision, join for a year; it'll be less expensive and keep you coming back.
* Consider working with a certified trainer to help build a healthy workout plan that fits you and your needs.
Money an issue? Some trainers allow two, three and even four to share that hour.
* Allow yourself one splurge meal a week. Every week, Weight Watchers members have an extra 35 points that can either be used daily for a little "wiggle room," or once a week for a splurge. You'll be surprised that you may not do this after a week or two, since you won't feel that good after a fatty, sodium-heavy meal.
* Never say, "Never." Decades of studies prove that as soon as a dieter decides to never eat something again, all they want is what they just removed. And, guess what? Most folks quickly break down and eat it. Nibble a tiny portion of something you crave, but don't forget to mark it down in your food diary.
* Stop eating in restaurants. It's too difficult, especially at the beginning, to know what you're eating. Make your meals at home: You'll know everything about what you're eating and it'll be far easier to control caloric intake and momentary impulses.
* Weigh yourself once a week, on the same day and time. I hate some weigh days, since I know I wandered off my path. Face the truth, accept whatever the scale says. Congratulate yourself if you lose; consider why if you didn't. Never beat yourself up over a weight gain.
* Share your stories with me. I want to know how you're doing and what helped you to lose weight or keep it off. You can do this. A new, slimmer you is just around the corner.
When I was losing weight, soup for lunch or dinner really worked well for me. As long as it's not a cream soup, soups are usually fairly low in calories, high in flavor and very satisfying. I like turkey sausage, green peppers and onions and successfully turned all three, with the addition of tomatoes, into a very tasty soup. Give it a try.
Don Mauer's "Lean and Lovin' It" column appears every other Wednesday. Don welcomes comments, suggestions and recipe makeover requests at leanwizard@aol.com.
Italian sausage, Sweet Peppers and Onion Soup
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound bulk hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage
4 cloves garlic, peeled, trimmed and pressed through a garlic press
3 to 4 Anaheim peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 medium-large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups lower-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans or 1 (28-ounce) can crushed or diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves (Italian flat-leaf preferred)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Place a 4- to 6-quart saucepan over medium to medium-high heat and add olive oil. When oil is hot add sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up, until it looses its pink color. Add garlic, peppers and onions, and cook until softened, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add vinegar and stir up the brown bits on the pan's bottom. Stir in broth and tomatoes; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes and then stir in parsley and basil. Serve immediately and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons cheese. Serves 4.
Nutrition values per serving with one tablespoon cheese: 326 calories(29.4 percent from fat), 10.4 g fat(3.4 g saturated fat), 19.6 g carbohydrates, 4.50 g fiber, 36 g protein, 105 mg cholesterol, 1,539 mg sodium.
SaltSense: Without adding any salt, this soup's sodium content is still high. The sausage's the primary source of that sodium (690 milligrams per serving). A total of 510 of a serving's 1,539 sodium milligrams comes from canned tomatoes. To reduce this soup's sodium content to 1,029 milligrams, substitute no-salt-added diced tomatoes. To reduce sodium even further, substituting no-salt-added chicken broth brings the sodium per serving to 795 milligrams per serving.
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