Losing weight during the holidays or any time can be a struggle for many people. In the Jan/Feb 2011 article in the AARP magazine, Brian Wansink listed some easy ways to cut calories, identify your weakness and tricks to help loose at least 20 pounds in six months.
Most of our patients have an ongoing battle with their weight. In our practice it is especially important because for every pound you gain puts 4-6 pounds of stress on your knees! Similarly, losing just 5 pounds will take 20 pounds off your knees. Arthritis will progress much faster in an overweight patient in the knee and is a leading cause of need for total knee replacements in patients over 50. As we get older, it comes more difficult to loose the weight. A few extra calories a day can add up to being 50 pounds heavier in a matter of months.
Wansink identified a few ways to cut calories. You eat 22% less by using smaller plates and pour 29% less by using tall, thin glasses instead of short, wide ones. If you store all your snacks in small-single serving food-storage bags, you’ll eat up to 20% less.
It’s also important to identify the environment. By identifying your weakness, you can change the eating environment. Common weakness including meal stuffing, party binging (I know the holidays are coming up), desktop/dashboard dining, restaurant indulging and snack grazing. Once you identify the danger zone, you can focus on changing the habit.
Wansink identified 10 easy tricks that helped people loose at least 20 pounds in 6 months. It really is one of the better and more practical guides I have seen. To see the article for yourself, click below.
http://pubs.aarp.org/aarptm/20110102_PR?folio=42#pg44
Sometimes is nice to have moral support. Many of my patients found support and great success with FA and Weight Watchers. You also know I will be one of your greatest cheerleaders for your success. It makes for fewer total knee replacements for me and that makes me happy.
http://www.weightwatchers.com/
The main thing about weight lost is to have reasonable goals and to modify the goals as time goes no. Tracking your progress and reaching your goals not only feels good, but makes you healthier.
Lesley J. Anderson MD