20 Ways to Lose Weight After the Holidays (page 3 of 4)

11. Write notes to yourself. To help you stay on track, post notes to yourself on the fridge and the pantry. Put up a little stop sign or make tags with questions like "Do you want this food enough to wear it?" and "Are the calories worth the consequences?"

12. Stay away from sodas. Soft drinks are a major source of empty calories in the American diet. We drink twice as much soda as milk and nearly six times more soda than fruit juice. But fluids don't satisfy your appetite as well as solids. A study at Purdue University found that when people were fed 450 calories daily as jelly beans or as soda, the soda drinkers gained a significant amount of weight, but the jelly-bean eaters compensated for the extra calories by cutting back on other food. So if you crave something sweet, you're better off chewing it than gulping it. If you're truly thirsty, reach for water or unsweetened iced tea instead of soda.

13. Don't just eat -- dine. Eating on the run or in front of the tube invites mindless munching. Instead, set the table every time you eat. Make a conscious choice to sit down and savor every bite. Placing a portion of chips on your best china helps focus your attention so you don't eat the whole bag.

14. Up your protein (a little). Research suggests that protein prolongs the feeling of fullness better than carbohydrates or fats do. Studies in Scotland, Denmark, Sweden and England found that people who ate a high-protein breakfast or lunch were less hungry at their next meal. Protein also requires a few more calories to digest. Just don't go overboard. Stick to low-fat protein sources like low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese, low-fat soy drinks or snacks, or thinly sliced turkey breast.

15. Learn how to measure. It's easy to misjudge portion sizes. Pull out the measuring spoons and cups, especially for full-fat salad dressings, dairy foods and mayo.

• Lose the Weight
• • Common Problems
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas
• Healthy Habits
• Exercise

• Walk to a Healthier You
• Maximize this basic aerobic exercise for lasting results
• 
• Simple Diabetes Prevention
• 
• Healthy Recipe Ideas
• 

Our first three babies, all girls, each weighed about seven pounds at birth. When my fourth arrived, he was much larger. After delivery the medical team began testing and measuring my new son. The last reading came from a nurse, who seemed impressed as she read, "Weight, nine pounds, eight ounces." My husband, a CPA in corporate finance who had been quiet up until this point, could contain himself no longer. "How about that!" he exclaimed happily. "It's thirty-six percent more baby!"

-- Carol Creasey