Choose to lose tips

June 24, 2009 
 
POPS (Pounds Off Program for Success) Tips
By: Joyce Sankey, RD, LD, St Luke’s Nutrition Center

TIPS TO GET STARTED
Easy Ways to Start:
Eat breakfast daily!
Kick start your metabolism! Power up with whole grain cereal, fruit and low fat milk.

Pack in more produce naturally lower in calories and filling
• “Go green” at lunch and supper.
• Start with salads made with romaine or fresh spinach. add other brightly colored veggies to pile on the nutrients.
• For a main dish top with chicken, tuna, cottage cheese.
• of crunchy veggies with low fat dip or humus while dinner cooks. Hint: try a variety of veggies like sugar snap peas, jicama and strips of purple cabbage.
• Add extra veggies to casseroles, soups.
• Choose fruit for snacks.
• Add a shot of calcium with a low fat cheese stick, yogurt.

Build up Calcium and Vitamin D
• Choose 3 or more servings daily of low fat milk, cheese & yogurt, soy milk and calcium fortified juices.
• Try lite yogurt or low fat cheese as snacks.
• Read labels to choose products fortified with vitamin D or add a supplement up to 800 IU daily

Beware Fast Foods Fat Traps! Each item can add 100 calories to a sandwich.
• Say NO to Mayo, bacon, cheese, regular salad dressing
• Skip the fries or split a small order.

Best Bets:
• Grilled chicken sandwich
• Child size burger
• Salads with low calorie dressings.

Check for Thirst First:
• Drink water at the beginning of a meal
• Check for thirst before eating hunger is often confused with thirst
• Choose water instead of sugared drinks

More Ideas To Get You Started:
Keep a food diary of when, what, where and why you eat.
• Look for patterns.
• Pick one area to work on at a time.
• Skipping breakfast?
• Frequent snacking?
• Drinking sodas or flavored coffees?
• How do your food choices compare to the Pyramid Guide?
• Pick one eating habit to improve.

Tracking intake can help you lose twice as much weight

Add Activity to lose weight faster
• Wear a pedometer to track your steps, write them down.
• Make appointments with yourself to exercise or go to gym
• Exercise with a buddy

Savor the flavor of food:
• Eat slowly, pay attention to what you eat
• Avoid eating and working
• Turn off the TV at mealtimes

Chew Sugar Free Gum between meals.
• Limits snacking.
• Stimulates concentration
Research shows it works!

Check your Behaviors
• Stay out of the kitchen except at meal time.
• Keep foods out of sight to limit mindless eating.
• Limit TV time to 1-2 hours daily. Exercise during commercials.
• Weigh weekly and write it down.

Additional Help - St Luke’s Nutrition Center Services

• Individual consultation with a registered dietitian
• Initial one hour consultation
• Follow –up available

• POPS – Pounds Off Program with Success led by a registered dietitian
• Group weight loss education and support program
• Meets weekly, includes a low calorie food plan and recipes
• 12 week course, bi weekly enrollment and orientation

• Optifast Weight Loss Program
• Medically monitored weight loss program
• Uses Optifast medical nutrition products
• Designed for persons desiring to lose over 40 pounds
• Long Term Support Offered

For more information on any of St. Luke’s Nutrition Center programs, call 319/369-7440.