Little Ways to Lose Big

Ounces Add Up to Pounds

“I’ll just have a little piece.” “Have some, it’s fat free!” “A little bit of [insert your weakness here] now and then won’t hurt.” Sound familiar?

 

As a backpacker, I’ve been excited by the relatively recent explosion of ultralight gear. The ultralight mantra is: Ounces add up to pounds. Shave a few ounces here, drop a few ounces there, and suddenly your pack is a few pounds lighter.

 

Similarly, calories add up to pounds—and it can be surprising how quickly! In fact, 3500 calories equals one pound. In order to lose one pound in a week, you have to either reduce your intake and/or increase your output by 3500 calories. Some people try to complicate weight loss, but it’s really just a simple formula: burn more than you eat.

 

If you’ve tried a fad diet or two, you probably know how miserably they fail. Most dieters end up gaining back the weight they lost, and then some, as soon as they go back to their old eating habits. If you need to lose weight, reduce your cholesterol or lower your blood pressure, your best bet for long-term success is a lifestyle change. Some people can immediately change their lifestyle and never go back; others have to make smaller changes over time. If you’re part of the latter group, start with these steps to eliminate or burn more calories.

 

 

Hara hachi bu. The Okinawan Japanese are known for their longevity. Their healthy lifestyle incorporates what they call hara hachi bu, or eating until only 80% full. Rather than eating until you’re beyond stuffed, stop before you’re full. In a restaurant, order an appetizer instead of a full meal. Or, ask for a take-home box as soon as you get your meal and set half of it aside for lunch the next day.

 

 

Add five minutes to your workout. If five minutes at a time is all you can do, start there! Next week, make it ten…then fifteen…then twenty… Unless you’re the classic couch potato, fulfilling the basic recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week will maintain your current level of fitness. To improve, add a day each week until you are exercising six days per week. Next add five minutes to your workouts each week until you’ve reached 45 minutes. Finally, make your workouts more intense.

 

 

Pump iron. Strength training is an essential part of a well-rounded exercise program. Unless we strive to maintain it, we lose muscle mass at a rate of about five percent per decade starting at age 30. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn when you’re just sitting around!

 

 

Drink water. Soda and juice are a source of unnecessary calories with few nutrients. Moreover, without adequate water, your liver’s ability to metabolize fat is compromised, sabotaging your weight loss efforts. If you need flavor but are tired of the same old lemon wedge, try using orange slices, cucumber slices, mint leaves, or watermelon chunks. Or, drop an herbal tea bag into your water bottle.

 

 

Wear a pedometer and, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, you’ll walk an average of one mile farther each day than you do without it. Yes, take the stairs and park farther from the door—and maybe walk to your co-worker’s office instead of calling or e-mailing.

 

 

Go green. Eat vegetarian a couple of days a week. If you’re already vegetarian, build your meals around vegetables—especially the leafy green kind—and beans instead of grains and starches. Making unrefined plant foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds) the foundation of your diet means you get more nutrients per calorie and are less likely to crave more calories than you need. Try to eat foods in as close to their most natural state as possible.

 

 

Write it down. Keeping a food log raises your awareness of what might need to change. This is especially true if you’re doing everything right but still aren’t seeing progress. A food log also keeps you accountable to yourself; don’t be surprised if you think, “I don’t want to have to write that down so I’m not going to eat it.”

 

Start with these steps—but don’t stop there! Continue to challenge yourself until you’ve reached your optimum. Never gamble with your health!

 

Author and advertising executive Bruce Barton put it this way: “Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things – I am tempted to think there are no little things.” Keep that in mind next time you reach for that little piece of [insert your weakness here] and tell yourself, “This little bit won’t make a difference…”

 

Ounces add up to pounds!

 

 

 

Things to Remember:

• 3500 calories = 1 pound
• 12-ounce can of soda = about 150 calories
• 8-ounce glass of juice = 100-150 calories