4 Tips for Weight Loss
Adapted from Arthritis Today®*, the health magazine published by the Arthritis Foundation.
Maintaining a healthy weight means less stress on painful knees. Losing weight is never easy, but here are four tried-and-true tips to make your task easier:
- Eat slowly. Your brain needs 20 minutes to register a full stomach, so the more time you take with your food, the less likely you will be to overeat.
- Use a smaller plate. Oversize plates can lead to oversize portions. A small dinner plate, about 9 inches, or even a lunch plate, about 6 inches, will let you satisfy that clean-your-plate compulsion without overeating.
- Keep track. Studies have shown that people who keep a daily food journal lose more weight than those who don't. It's easy to eat and not give it much thought, but nibbles here and there add up. When you put it on paper, you may be surprised to see how much you take in.
- Stay at the top of the menu. When dining out, skip the entrée and order from the appetizer, soup and salad sections. Portions will be small and light, if you pick right. Go for a single crab cake, salad with light dressing on the side, or onion, vegetable or minestrone soup.
