By Marie Fortin, MEd, RD
1: Fill up on low calorie fluids
While it’s a myth that we all require 8 to 12 glasses of water each day to stay healthy, it is true that hydration is an important factor in optimizing energy levels, warding off headaches and preventing over-eating. One way of calculating the body’s approximate fluid needs is to aim for about 1 litre of fluid intake for every 1000 calories in the diet.
Because the average adult’s calorie needs hover around 2000 per day, it makes sense to assume that the body needs approximately 2 litres (or 8 cups) of fluid each day. In addition to plain water, this fluid enters the body via dairy products, fruit juices, tea, coffee, and fruits and vegetables (many of which are mostly water by weight).
Low-calorie fluids can assist with weight management by helping to fill up the stomach before or during a meal, so that less food is needed. The classic signs of hunger (rumbling stomach, fatigue, headache, slight dizziness, mood changes) can also be triggered by thirst. If you’re watching your weight, try upping your fluid intake before meals.
Some beverages, however, can hinder more than help with weight loss. Liquid calories, whether in the form of juices, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, or sweetened coffee beverages, don’t ‘register’ with the brain. That is, these calories enter the body without creating the fullness or satisfaction that comes from eating solid food.
In research studies, participants who consume 300 calories from solid food will spontaneously eat less at their next meal. Those who consume 300 calories from liquids don’t tend to modify their eating at the next meal. Liquids can pack in the calories (and pack on the pounds!), but provide very little satisfaction.
To make plain water more interesting, try adding a wedge of orange, grapefruit or lime to a glass of ice water. Alternatively, add one ounce of fruit juice (try pomegranate, cranberry or orange) to at least 8 ounces of water. Other healthy low-calorie fluid sources include low-sodium vegetable cocktail, sparkling water, skim milk, low-fat sodium-reduced soups, tea, fresh fruit and vegetables.
2: Snack smart
Many studies show that eating frequently throughout the day is a better weight management strategy than eating the equivalent amount of calories in one or two large meals. Eating healthy snacks between meals can help keep blood sugar levels stable and prevent overeating at mealtime. Carefully planned snacks can also help us meet our quota of essential nutrients.
If you choose to eat between meals, make sure you’re responding to hunger, and not to boredom, anxiety or stress. When driven by emotions, snacking can take the form of ‘mindless eating’ and pack in calories that lead to weight gain.
The best snacks are ‘whole foods’ – foods that have been minimally altered from their natural state. These include fresh or dried fruit, low-fat milk and yogurt, smoothies, fat-reduced cheese with whole grain crackers, raw veggies with bean dip (hummus), wholesome soups (lentil, minestrone), nuts and trail mix.
Don’t waste your money on 100-calorie snack packs. Most of these products are simply miniature junk food portions – white flour, white sugar, preservatives – with very little nutrient density. Even if we stick to the unreasonable (and unsatisfying) single servings of 100 calories, this translates into a weight gain of 10 pounds per year if no other adjustments are made to the diet.
3: Aim to be active daily
Every January, many of us recommit to ambitious exercise plans that are ultimately too demanding to sustain. When we run out of steam for daily hour-long gym workouts, we tend to slip back into sedentary habits. Indeed, many of us take an ‘all or nothing’ approach to physical activity, which proves to be self-sabotaging.
An excellent resolution is to accumulate at least one half-hour of brisk movement each day. To meet and maintain a goal of 30 minutes of daily activity, narrow your focus to activities you actually enjoy.
If you’re not a ‘gym person’, why not try martial arts, yoga, dance or Pilates? If you’ve always wanted to learn to run, or would enjoy the support of a walking group, perhaps now is the time to register in a running or fitness walking clinic.
Chilly winter weather is no excuse to curl up and hibernate in front of the TV. Make the most of the season: head outdoors with the kids for some fun in the snow. Rediscover the winter sports of your childhood or learn a few new ones: why not head out skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing (climbing up those hills is a great workout!) or play ice sports?
4: Get to bed earlier
Fatigue is one of the top reasons we reach for food when we’re not actually hungry. Food can be a quick and easy antidote to flagging energy levels, but eating to compensate for fatigue is a sure way to pack on pounds. If you find yourself grazing throughout the day or sipping on a never-ending supply of coffee to stay alert, it might be worth examining whether your sleep needs are being met.
The human body produces two hormones critical in regulating food intake: ghrelin and leptin, which influence eating in different ways. Ghrelin is an appetite-stimulating hormone released mostly by the stomach. When ghrelin levels are up, we feel hungry. On the other hand, leptin, a hormone that signals satiety or fullness, is released by fat cells and tells the brain about the current energy balance of the body.
An outpouring of leptin, which occurs after a meal, tells the brain that the body has enough food, and the person feels full. Low levels indicate starvation and tend to increase the appetite.
Essentially, ghrelin is the accelerator for eating, while leptin is the brake.
Interestingly, the amount of sleep you get is reflected in your hormonal profile. One study showed that people who routinely slept a mere five hours a night had a 14.9% higher level of ghrelin and a 15.5% lower level of leptin than those who slept eight hours. The sleep-deprived participants who had the biggest hormonal changes also said they felt the most hungry and craved carbohydrate-rich foods, including cakes, candy, ice cream, pasta and bread. Those who had the smallest changes reported being the least hungry.
How much sleep does the average person need? Sleep needs vary, but in general most adults need seven to nine hours a night, experts say. If you’re chronically fatigued, work on fitting in more restful sleep before trying to revamp your eating habits.
5: Be accountable
When you’ve made the decision to change some behaviours or habits, seal the decision with action – make one small change immediately to get the ball rolling. Tell the important people in your life – your spouse, children, friends, co-workers – about your new commitment. Think about how these key people can act as supports, resources or cheerleaders, and share this with them. The accountability created in sharing your goals with others and enlisting their support in helping you achieve them can be powerful.
Another strategy for the achievement of your weight loss goals is creating personal accountability for your choices. An excellent tool to facilitate awareness and accountability is a food journal. This type of journal documents foods and beverages consumed, often with notes about timing, portions and context (where, with whom, mood, thoughts).
Food journals can yield rich insight into your eating patterns and how they might tie into emotions, energy or sabotaging thoughts. A food journal isn’t something you’ll keep every day of your life, but can prove very useful when beginning changes to your eating habits, or to provide personal accountability and awareness at any point in the process.
Finally, an easy way to build accountability for your choices is to consult with a coach. There’s nothing like having a 7:30am appointment booked with a personal trainer to provide incentive to head to the gym even when you’d rather hit the snooze button. Other effective coaches include your primary care practitioner and your Registered Dietitian. With a coach assisting you with goal setting and helping you develop strategies for their achievement, your chances of success are greater.
Marie Fortin, MEd, RD, a Registered Dietitian, runs a busy nutrition consulting practice at the Markham Stouffville Health Centre, where she specializes in weight management and cardiovascular health. Visit her at www.mariefortin.com
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
