In the News

Winter 2010

Are you starting the new year with a new diet plan? You'll have a much better than average chance of success if you allow yourself a small treat every day—and that includes sweets.
That's the advice of registered dietician Sharon Palmer, editor of the independent online newsletter Environmental Nutrition. "Studies show that weight loss is one of our top New Year's resolutions," Sharon observes, "but very few people stick with their good intentions." It's important, says Sharon, to make changes that encourage a lifestyle of healthful food choices—and of moderation. "Feeling like you're on a diet can make you feel deprived and set you up for failure," she says.
How to avoid that deprived feeling? "Try to make healthful choices at every meal and allow yourself one small treat each day that still fits within your lower-calorie eating plan," says Sharon. That way you'll feel satisfied and rewarded while staying within your plan.
Here are some of Sharon's smart tips for achieving your dietary goals this year—or any year:

• Take the edge off cravings with a 100-calorie sweet snack such as Crunchy Granola. Make a batch and spoon portions into small plastic baggies—convenient for munching on during the day.
• Don’t say “no” to food at social gatherings: that’s a sure route to feeling sorry for yourself. Instead, shave off a small slice of whatever treat is being offered. It’s surprising how a few bites can be all you need to feel satisfied.
• Eat out less often. Cooking and baking at home help ensure you’re aware of what you’re eating.
• Enlist support from family and friends.
• Feel good about what you are doing. A positive attitude affects your weight, your energy, and your overall health.

Moderation's important when it comes to expectations, too. Be sure to allow yourself a reasonable time to lose weight. "If you change your lifestyle by eating more healthfully and exercising daily," Sharon says, "then you will feel good and the weight will come off slowly." Don't forget to celebrate your successes, no matter how small they may seem.
Here's to a healthy and sweet new year!