Diet Tips

Can't resist temptation? Worried because you're dining out tonight? Try our diet tips to help you stay on track. Newest tips will always appear first.

Skin your Chicken
Removing skin from chicken can cut fat content by 75% and cut the calories nearly in half.

Go Wild
Wild rice is not a rice at all, but is a grass seed native to North America. It is nutty in flavor and has more protein and fewer calories than white rice.

Lose 10 without noticing
If you cut just 96 calories a day, which is about a slice and a half of bread, you will lose 10 pounds in one year without ever noticing. You’ll gain the same benefit if you increase your activity a little to burn 96 extra calories a day.

Heartburn
As if we need another reason to lose weight - Are you bothered by heartburn? Studies show that being overweight can bring on heartburn or make it worse. When people lose weight, they are less likely to suffer from heartburn.

Makin' Bacon
If you like bacon, consider Canadian bacon for a healthier choice. A once ounce serving of Canadian bacon has 50 calories and just 2 grams of fat. An ounce of regular bacon has 165 calories and a whopping 14 grams of fat. But don't forget that both are high in sodium.

Calcium - A little at a time
If you take calcium supplements, don't take more than 500mg at a time. The body absorbs larger amounts less efficiently. Also take it with a meal for better absorption.

Taming the Aspartame Fears
We’ve all read the internet rumors about the dangers of aspartame. However, this sweetener has been studied more intensively than almost any other food additive. The FDA, WHO (World Health Organization) and the American Medical Association have confirmed its safety. The only proven danger is for people with phenylketonuria, a rare genetic disorder. Labels of products containing aspartame include this warning.

5 A Day - Not as much as it sounds!
If the idea of fitting 5 servings of vegetables and fruits in your diet seems impossible, remember that official serving sizes are small. A large apple, a cup of broccoli or lentils, or a medium sized salad each count as two servings!

Bypass temptation
If driving past McDonalds everyday is too tempting, go a different route.

Be in control
Never say “I can’t have that” but rather say “I don’t want that.” This puts you in control of your choices.

Weigh yourself when tempted
If faced with a tempting treat that is not within bounds of your diet, go to the scale and weight yourself. Pat yourself on the back for maintaining your weight goals. You will be less likely to give in after that.

BRUSH!
Whenever you’re feeling a snack attack coming on, brush your teeth. You won’t be hungry anymore and your teeth will thank you.

Set a timer
If you get the urge to snack, set a timer for 15 minutes, and then decide if you still want to eat.

You can’t fail
Remember that having a lapse is not failing. If you go off your diet, don’t quit and don’t get mad at yourself. Just get back on track.

Snack attack?
Don’t fall into the trap of buying snacks “for the kids”, they don’t need them either.

Curb the urge
The next time you find yourself tempted to go for fast food or order a pizza, get active for about 15 or 20 minutes instead. Walk on the treadmill or outside, weed the garden, or dust the furniture. After you’ve moved around for a little while, your body will feel better and you will likely find that you want something healthier for dinner. Your body is thanking you

Don’t give up
If you have a bad day, start again the following day. One day won’t matter, but two will.

Tight pants
Wear “too tight” pants to the supermarket (even under a long tunic or jacket) to politely remind you to stay away from the candy aisle.

No stress
Stop the “stress” excuses. If anything, the holidays are the times you must be exercising. Just make better choices and some small changes in recipes to allow some calorie reduction � but don’t overdo it. If it doesn’t taste the same as the real thing you’re bound to eat two or three times as much! - Carla Quam, Cross Train Concepts Conditioning Studio, Ballard

Once a week
Designate one day a week where you can have whatever you want without a guilt trip. The secret to being on any sort of eating plan is getting right back to it if you happen to slip a little bit. - Courtenay Schurman, Body Results, Seattle

80/20
Try to eat healthy 80 percent of the time and let the junk be only 20 percent. If you haven’t eaten your five daily servings of vegetables yet, no junk. No punch or other calorie-laden drinks until you’ve had your water for the day. - Gail Cuthbert, Kent Women’s Aerobic & Fitness Center

Small goals
Need to lose a lot of weight? Make it easier by concentrating on small goals, such as 5 pounds at a time.

Take your time
Don’t crash diet. It’s important not to set yourself goals you can’t meet when you’re trying to slim. Plan to lose weight over the next year, not by February. It probably took you 12 months to put it on in the first place.

Don’t be so strict
Follow your diet during the week, but allow a little flexibility on the weekends. This can help you stick to your diet without feeling deprived.

A real treat
Set small weight loss goals then pamper yourself with a manicure, haircut, etc, whenever you reach them.

It’s what you CAN have that counts
Focus on what you can have, instead of what you can’t have Cinnamon bagel with nonfat cream cheese instead of a doughnut, for example.

Cool sensations to prevent overeating
As soon as you have finished eating a reasonable portion, put a super-minty candy in your mouth to help resist further temptation.

Read your way to fitness
Enjoy your quite time with a good book or magazine about fitness. The more educated you are about your health, the easier it will be to make smart choices.

Just eat!
Eat 3 meals and 2 small snacks every day to help boost your metabolism and avoid the “starvation” mode which packs on pounds even with few calories. NEVER skip breakfast.

Doggie Bag It
Restaurant portions are generally too large. You can discard part of it, but you can also ask for a container to take the leftovers home. If you do this, ask for the container at the beginning of the mean and go ahead and put half aside. Don’t wait, because you may not have any left over!

Two for One
Share food, such as a main dish or dessert, with your dining partner.

Going out for pizza
If you go out for pizza, or order takeout, ask for half the normal amount of cheese. Avoid deep dish crusts, as they have much higher fat and calorie content than thin or regular crusts. If you must have pepperoni or other meats, ask that they only use a small amount, or less than half the normal portion. Finally, grab a stack of napkins and blot as much of the grease off the tops and bottoms of your pizza as possible.

Brush those teeth
Carry a travel toothbrush and paste with you when you dine out. When you feel you’ve reached your limit, slip into the restroom and brush your teeth. This makes it easier not to overeat, and leaves you feeling refreshed for the rest of the evening.

Take your diet with you
Don’t break your diet just because you are going out. You could have a lighter lunch, and choose dishes that are grilled or steamed with a side salad or vegetables.

Plan in advance
Many restaurants will fax you a menu before you go there. Make your choice and stick with it, and don’t even look at the menu when you arrive.

Win Win at the buffet
When faced with a buffet table, try a small bite of a few choices, then proceed with what you would consider normal and healthy. You have now put yourself in a win-win situation that you can look forward to at other holiday outings. You “win” by allowing yourself a little leeway and getting to try some fabulous treats, and you “win” by sticking to your healthy way of life and thus can wake up the next morning feeling great and not guilty. - Ginny Pietila, Club Emerald, Mercer Island

Begin your meal with soup.
A cup of minestrone has just 80 calories and will help fill you up and prevent overdoing it with the rest of the meal.

Dressing on the side
Always order your salad with the dressing on the side, then lightly dip your forkful as you go. The dressing is usually high in fats, but a little can go a long way.

Don’t hold the salt
When served a large portion of food, cut away the excess then douse it with salt and sugar so you won’t be tempted to eat it.

Watch your steak
Some steak houses brush the steaks with seasoned butter. Always order it plain.

What are you drinking?
Many people don’t think of beverages as food. You can consume a lot of excess calories in your juice or latte without giving it much thought. Save several hundred calories per day by drinking your coffee black, or by drinking diet instead of regular soda. Forego juice and consume whole fruit. You’ll get the benefits of fiber and other nutrients that juice can’t always provide.

Enjoy scallops
5 ounces of scallop meat, cleaned and ready to cook, has just 128 calories and 2 gram of fat! They are delicious, fast cooking, and very versatile. Most of us love breaded and fried scallops from our favorite seafood house. However, an average 5 ounce portion of breaded and fried scallops from a restaurant contains 386 calories and 19 grams of fat. You don’t need to fry them to enjoy them. Try grilling scallops, or marinating them in a citrus mixture, then broiling or searing them in a skillet. Their mildly sweet flavor will compliment almost any pasta or vegetable dish.

Eat more protein
Many of us concentrate so much on reducing the fat content and lowering the calories in our diets, that we often overlook our protein intake. If we don’t get enough protein, we risk burning lean muscle mass instead of fat. This can leave us tired, out of shape, and even damage our metabolism. Increase your protein intake with these low fat foods: – 2 Tablespoons of fat free cream cheese has almost 5 grams of protein for just 35 calories! Try spreading it on flavored rice cakes for a low calorie snack. – 3 Ounces of tuna, packed in spring water, has 18 grams of protein and 80 calories, with just one gram of fat. Add it to a salad for a low calorie meal. – 1/2 Cup of nonfat cottage cheese has 14 grams of protein for only 80 calories. Sprinkle it with seasonings for variety. – A large egg contains 7 grams of protein and 80 calories. However, egg substitute has 7 grams of protein for only 30 calories. – 1/2 cup of canned kidney beans has 7 grams of protein and 110 calories. Make a lowfat chili recipe, or rinse and add to your favorite salad.

Say Cheese
Cheese adds flavor and texture to many foods, and we find it hard to live without it. But at 110 calories and 9 grams of fat per ounce, it’s hard to enjoy much of it without putting a major dent in our daily fat allowance. Cheese also adds calcium and protein to our diets, which is helpful for vegetarian or low meat diets. Most of us have tried reduced fat and fat free cheeses, but they can be very different in texture and flavor than regular full fat cheeses. Various brands also taste different, so you may have to try several until you find one that is satisfactory to you. Try the following tips to help make lower fat cheeses more palatable: – When cooking with nonfat or reduced fat cheeses, shed finely for easier melting. – Use nonfat cheeses in foods that add moisture, like lasagna, and save reduced fat cheeses for foods such as pizza. – Remember that the lower the fat, the longer the time it takes for it to melt. – Combine shredded full fat and shredded reduced or non fat cheeses for best flavor and melting, if you don’t like it straight. – If you must eat only full fat cheeses, you can usually get by with much less than you think. Try reducing the amounts and you may not even notice.

More breakfast tips
Eat breakfast! Did you know that by eating breakfast, you can increase your metabolism by 4-5 percent to burn more calories throughout the rest of the day? Just remember, this doesn’t mean you should stock up on Pop Tarts! Try multigrain cereals with fruit and nonfat milk for a fast meal. If you have more time, try a poached egg over a toasted English muffin, sprinkled with reduced fat bacon bits. Reduce your fat consumption by trying extra lean bacon and egg substitutes. Most are very good, but you may need to try more than one brand before you find one you like. If you must eat breakfast out, look for bran muffins or try hotcakes without added butter, and topped with fruit.

Plan on an easy way out
Plan an evening meal that can be cooked in the microwave in a matter of minutes. Don’t trust yourself to wait 20 minutes when you know you will be hungry after a hard day’s work.

Eat what you enjoy
Choose to eat foods you like. Don’t force yourself to eat salads or cottage cheese if you don’t like them.

I could have had a V-8!
Begin your lunch or dinner with a glass of V-8 juice. This will not only give you a serving of vegetables, but it will also help fill you up so that you will eat less at your meal!

Forget boring lettuce
Make a salad with fresh spinach leaves and include small amounts of vegetables to your side salad, such as onions, peppers, corn, etc.

Garlic lovers
Instead of buttery garlic bread, spread butter-free roasted garlic cloves on top of French bread.

Lightly grilled
Grill your sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of oil or butter.

Smart Eggs
Make an omelette using egg whites, mushrooms, and low-fat mozzarella instead of whole eggs, regular cheese, and mushrooms in butter.

Choose juicy fruit
Replace your morning glass of fruit juice with a piece of fresh fruit to get the same amount of vitamins and minerals, plus a dose of hunger banishing fiber.

Out of sight, out of mind
If you must purchase high fat foods for other family members, try to purchase small quantities, and freeze (or let someone hide) the excess amounts.

International Night
Have “International Night” and introduce your family to foods from other nationalities. Choose only foods and recipes that are low-fat and your family won’t know the difference. The variety will entice them to try healthy foods they normally would have passed on.

Milk fat
Got milk? Make sure it is skim milk. Low-fat milk (1%) has 2.5 grams of fat per cup. If you drink the recommended 4 glasses per day, you have consumed a whopping 10 grams of fat, just in your milk! 2% milk is even worse, with 5 grams of fat per cup!!

Better snack
Freeze fresh grapes and enjoy them instead of sugary iced treats.

Reduce fat when baking
Replace the oil in baked goods with thick fruit purees such as applesauce, mashed bananas or prunes.

Sneaking in vegetables
Include grated raw vegetables or dried fruit to batters and doughs for quick breads, muffins and cookies.