Twelve Steps for Successful Weight Reduction

• Step One
  Write down what you typically eat in a day, then evaluate your meal patterns and eating habits. Do you nibble all afternoon? Devour huge dinners? Munch-out at night? If you eat very few calories during the day but then over-eat at night, experiment with eating a bigger breakfast, lunch and a planned afternoon snack. Then you will be less hungry at night and better able to eat a smaller dinner. By giving yourself permission to eat more calories during the day, you will not only have more energy to exercise, you will also prevent yourself from getting too hungry. Generally speaking, once people are ravenously hungry, they don't care about what they eat nor how much and can too easily over-eat.

• Step Two
  If you overeat when you are stressed, nervous or lonely, remember that no amount of food will satisfy you. You really need a hug and human comforting. Food is only fuel. It will not resolve your problems.

• Step Three
  To lose weight appropriately, you should know your calorie budget. To determine the number of calories for your reduction diet, you first need to estimate your maintenance calories:

  Multiply your desired weight by 10 to determine your resting metabolic rate (the amount of calories you need to simply lay in bed all day and breathe). For example, if your target weight is 120 pounds, your resting metabolic rate is about 1,200 calories. You burn off these calories even if your are injured or taking a rest day from exercise.

  Add another third to half of that number for your general daily activity excluding your specific training or exercise program. If your are mostly sitting, studying, or working at a desk, you need fewer calories than if you are active during the day (i.e. going up and down stairs, walking around, doing errands). For example, a 120 pound mother with 2 children is quite active and burns approximately: 1,200 calories (resting metabolism) + 600 calories (general activity) = 1,800 calories (without exercise).

  Next, add on calories burned off during your exercise program. Here is the calorie expenditure for some popular sports, based upon weight and calories burned per minute of activity:

  	Calories burned per minute(by body weight)
  Activity	110 lbs	130 lbs	150 lbs	170 lbs
  Biking, 13 mph	8.5	10.0	11.5	13.0
  Running, 8 min/mile	10.8	12.5	14.2	16.0
  Squash	10.6	12.5	14.4	16.3
  Swimming, hard	7.8	9.2	10.6	12.0
  Walking, normal pace	4.0	4.7	5.4	6.2

  NOTE: This is a rough estimate of your calorie needs. You may burn more calories or fewer calories, depending on many factors unique to your body. For example, fidgeters need more calories than mellow folks! A registered dietitian can help you more accurately determine your actual energy needs.

• Step Four
  Subtract 20% of your maintenance calories to determine an appropriate calorie target for weight loss. For example, if you maintain your weight on about 2,000 calories, you should plan to lose weight on about 1,600 calories. Note that individuals of a more petite body structure will subtract fewer calories than average sized individuals. If you cut back more than 20%, you will likely become ravenously hungry and put yourself at high risk of blowing your diet.

• Step Five
  Organize your eating into a balanced plan. For example, divide your 1,600 calorie diet into three meals plus snacks, such as: breakfast - 500 calories; lunch - 500 calories; afternoon snack - 100 calories; dinner - 500 calories. By eating the majority of your calories during the day, you will have energy to exercise at your best. You will also be able to (easily) "diet" at night because you will be less hungry.
  Remember: you will not gain weight by eating a substantial breakfast or lunch. You will gain weight, however, if you skimp on these meals, get too hungry and then overeat during the evening!

• Step Six
  Eat slowly. Overweight people tend to eat faster than their normal-weight counterparts. Your brain needs about 20 minutes to receive the signal that you have eaten your fill. No matter how much you consume during these twenty minutes, the satiety signal won't move any faster. Hence, you should try to pace your eating. Practice chewing slowly, putting down the fork between bites rather than eating nonstop, and tasting and savoring the food.

• Step Seven
  Once a week, relax and enjoy a piece of birthday cake, a special Sunday breakfast or a planned treat. This will give you incentive to maintain your reducing program when tempted at other times. When enjoying this treat, be sure to eat it slowly to fully enjoy the taste. After all, the best part about food is the taste.

• Step Eight
  Keep away from food sources that tempt you. For example, read the newspaper in the living room rather than the kitchen. Avoid jogging past the bakery. Stand away from the buffet table at a party. By keeping food out of sight, you will be more likely to keep it out of mind -- and out of your mouth!

• Step Nine
  If you tend to eat because you are bored, stressed, tired or lonely, make a list of ten non-food activities that you can do instead of eating: water the plants, take a bath, call a friend, write letters, go for a walk, go to sleep, etc.. If you eat because you are stressed, take steps to resolve the real problem. Recognize that no amount of food will resolve the stress. Learn how to handle stress and anxiety without overeating.

• Step Ten
  Think positive. Every morning before you get out of bed, visualize yourself eating appropriately and achieving your nutrition goals. This will help you start the day with a positive attitude. Continually remind yourself that you would rather be leaner than overeat

• Step Eleven
  Measure success by looking at yourself naked in the mirror. If you see, and pinch, less fat, you have less fat! If you weigh yourself, do so once a week first thing in the morning, after you have gone to the bathroom and before you have eaten. Don't weigh yourself after a workout or at night -- that gives a false weight! Remember that if you are starting an exercise program, you may gain pounds of muscle while you lose pounds of fat. The scale may read the same weight, but your body will be different.

• Step Twelve
  Be proud of your healthy eating patterns and keep reminding yourself that when you eat well, you not only feel better but you also feel better about yourself. Plus, you have enough energy to exercise and enjoy life.