I spoke on The Power Bloc radio show recently about weight management and healthy eating. When you do these types of appearances, brevity is key. So, I sat down at my computer and wrote down these tips in rapid-fire succession – in order of importance. You get the benefit of 20+ years of experience in the field in these simple tips. There is a lot more that I could have said about each one – but for brevity sake – this is for you.

The Power Bloc
  1. Avoid hunger.  Eat approximately 3 “moderate calorie” meals per day – about 5 hours apart. In terms of calories, this would be approximately 400-800 calories per meal.  Four hundred if you are petite and 800 if you are taller and/or very active. Most people are eating too many calories without realizing it. Once you become aware, it will be easier for you to calculate this. One way is to look at the calorie counts at restaurants who have them. You will quickly get a lesson in why Americans are overweight and obese.
  2. Do not eat between meals.  Snacking causes weight gain. Eating between meals never gives your body a chance to use up calories eaten prior to snacking. Snacking forces the body into continuous fat storing mode. If you follow my advice in #1, you will not be hungry between meals.
  3. Eat during the day.  Humans are diurnal – as opposed to nocturnal which are animals who are awake during the night. Human metabolism is set to follow something called the Circadian Rhythm. Basically, our metabolism works best when the sun out. As the sun sets, so does your ability to metabolize food efficiently. People who eat late tend to be overweight or obese.
  4. Eat foods that fill you up but do not fill you out.  Eat a nutrient dense, low calorie diet. Foods such as cheese, pizza, whole milk, ice cream, fatty meats, chips, high sugary foods are generally high in calories relative to their nutrient content (even though some are nutritious). As an analogy, these foods are the Neiman Marcus of calorie density; you are spending a lot for products but you may also be paying more than necessary. The problem with these foods is just a small amount packs a lot of calories relative to what you get in return in terms of nutrients.  Eating these foods increases calories too high, and most people will gain weight even the volume of food seems normal. On the other hand, food such as vegetables, winter squash, fish, and whole grain carbohydrates are highly nutritious but low in calories (unless you add high calorie sauces and condiments).  You can eat a lot of these foods without taking in more calories than you need. In fact, these foods fill you up and lead to fullness which is an effective way to maintain or possibly lose weight loss.
  5. Use a 9” plate.  Use a large plate, and you may eat more food. People who use smaller plates actually believe they are eating more food. This is due to the physical calculations we make to determine when we are full. This demonstrates we can be satisfied at much lower calorie levels – but can fool ourselves we are getting more. BTW, the research also shows even when we know we are fooling ourselves, it still works!
  6. Do not (or limit) eating out at restaurants. You are not knowledgeable enough to navigate the all the ways food is unhealthy.  It is too complicated.  Let’s use a typical meal at a typical fast casual Mexican food establishment. I am not picking on this particular ethnic food, but just using them as an example of why eating out is perilous to your health. Burrito bowl: chicken, white rice, black beans, fresh tomato salsa, guacamole, jack cheese, roasted chili-corn salsa, and green-chili salsa.  This is 800 calories with 91 grams of carbohydrates.  This is an amount of a meal for all but the youngest, most athletic boys or men. Add a regular tortilla chip, and you have upped the calories by 540 with 73 grams of carbohydrates or a large portion for 810 calories with 110 grams of carbohydrates. Add an apple juice and you’ve upped the calories to 240 with 60 grams of carbohydrates. Altogether, a burrito bowl w/ chicken 800 calories, small tortilla chips 540, and an apple juice 240 equals 1,590 and 224 carbohydrates.  This is the amount of calories a 5’4” 130 pounds moderately active female might need for the entire day. This demonstrates how imbalanced our eating habits have become.  
  7. Eat as healthy as you can with the budget you have. Life is not a zero-sum game (of winners and losers). Some people have a lot and have nothing to show for it. Others have very little and do extremely well.  Focus on the positive rather than on the lack in your life. This applies to your diet as well. It is possible to eat healthy on a budget…at least 80% of the time (see tip #10). You will have to be more self-disciplined, but this applies to almost anything we really want.
  8. Ensure you eat the foods you need before you eat the foods you want.  Eat your vegetables first even if the rest of your meal is junk food.  This is the same idea behind the concept of paying your bills before you spend money on extraneous things. Feed your hunger the most nutritious, low calorie food first and you will have less room for the unhealthy stuff.
  9. Focus on being your best self rather than on losing weight. The statistics on weight loss is abyssal. When people are dieting, they are usually miserable. Focusing on what not to eat, makes eating that food even more enticing. Most people will gain back any weight they loss within a year. The main reason is the human body defends the amount of fat it has managed to store. Your metabolism fights you in ways you are unaware. It would be best for you to adopt a healthy lifestyle – which is a long term solution which can lead to weight loss. Just don’t make weight loss a goal.
  10. Aim for 80% good.  A B+ is above average. Getting an A is nice, but does it really get you anything different than a B does? Probably not. The 20% of the time you aren’t your best self, probably won’t hurt you. This is more realistic and something you achieve. Perfectionism can lead to depression and ultimately failure because it’s impossible to achieve. Good enough is a long term strategy.