Ask A Baltimore Expert: How To Keep Your New Year's Weight Loss Resolution
Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center
550 N. Broadway, Suite 1001
Baltimore, MD 21205
(410) 502-0145
www.jhsph.edu/weight
Linda Bunyard is a registered dietitian and the assistant director for the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in Baltimore. She provides both individual and group counseling on healthy nutrition and behavior modification for weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Bunyard has a bachelor's degree in human nutrition, a master's degree in clinical nutrition and is registered by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In addition, she has extensive teaching and research experience in the fields of energy metabolism and reduction of cardiovascular risk factors through weight loss.
"We often eat whatever is in front of us," says Bunyard. "We eat meals that came in a package or that someone else prepared, often with no idea how many calories are involved. We also eat 'until it is gone' without a thought about serving size." Her advice is "start paying attention." Ask yourself: Does your body need fuel (calories) right now? Is it a logical time to eat? Are you even hungry? How much is enough? Does it even taste good? If the answer is "no," then there's no reason to eat it. "We can often avoid a lot of unwanted calories by just becoming aware of our tendencies, and cutting back on some of the unnecessary calories," adds Bunyard.
"Most of us will find that we are satisfied with smaller servings," says Bunyard. "Eating those larger servings or those extra tablespoons is often unnecessary." She suggest trying this experiment: At every meal for two or three days leave a quarter of your normal serving off your plate. Then as you eat, leave another two tablespoons of every food on your plate. At 30 minutes after each meal, check in with your hunger. Are you still physically hungry? If you don't remember to check, it's probably because you are not hungry. Check again at the end of the day. You will likely find that you are feeling just fine and saving yourself from unnecessary calories.
"The majority of my patients describe the daily scenario of arriving home from work in the evening feeling rushed, tired, stressed and starving," says Bunyard. "They come home to a kitchen that is full of food; they want to relax, soothe, and, of course, eat. And once they begin eating, somehow it is very difficult to stop." According to Bunyard, studies show that eating more calories earlier in the day helps prevent this evening over-eating routine. She recommends taking the time to have a healthy, small to medium sized breakfast and lunch, no matter what else is going on in your day. Combine this with a well-planned dinner meal, and a small satisfying snack before bed, and the out of control evening eating can nearly vanish.
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How many meals did you eat last week that were packaged, prepped or served by someone else? Include your morning coffee run, the office cafeteria, and the meal-in-a-bag that you whipped up for dinner, in addition to drive thru and restaurant meals. "We have become very dependent on pre-packaged and restaurant prepped foods." says Bunyard. "Unfortunately, we typically have no idea what hidden calories may be included simply for the purpose of making that food stay warm longer, keep its texture, or enhance its flavor so you use it again next time." Bottom line: if you don't fix it yourself, chances are you are eating far more calories than you realize. So it pays (once again) to take the time to plan and prepare your own healthy meals and snacks so that you have control over what you are really getting.
"Food feels good," says Bunyard. "The science is clear: When we eat, the brain produces chemicals that help us soothe and relax." According to Bunyard, that's one reason individuals have become so good at using food to help manage their daily stress. People also use food to reward themselves when something goes well. There's no doubt that stress and emotions will always be around. As such, Bunyard recommends develop a calorie-free strategy for coping. "Make a list of 10 ways to make yourself feel really good without using calories and will feel even better than food," explains Bunyard. "List at least one item you can do at home, one you can do at work, one you can do in five minutes, one that will take the whole afternoon, etc. Give yourself lots of ideas for a wide variety of situations. Write your ideas down and keep them handy. The next time you feel stressed, practice making yourself feel better without using food."
