WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

Tip 1: Find out how many calories you need
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)

BMR [kcal]
Body Weight [lb] x 15 + (moderate activity [mins/day] x 3.5)
Since you wish to lose weight, your target = BMR - 500 kcal

For instance, you weigh 140 lb and you perform 20 mins of moderate activity every day. BMR of this example = (140 x 15) + (20 x 3.5) = 2100 + 70 = 2170 kcal. BMR minus 500kcal; it would be 2170 - 500 = 1670 kcal. Therefore 1670 kcal is the target in this example to losing 1 lb per week.


Tip 2:
Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day

Fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They fill up your stomach fast so you feel full earlier. They are also low in calories and helps to keep your calorie count low.

Top 5 Healthiest Foods - picked by Dietitians

Salmon : Salmon is favorite food to substitute meats. It is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids - which has been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. In 2002, the American Heart Association recommended eating at least 2 servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish such as salmon. With increasing public concerns over farmed salmon, choose wild salmon. Most canned salmon are wild.

Can eating Salmon help lower your blood cholesterol?

High cholesterol! This term seems to be highly used when dealing with today's health topics! It is the yellowish material in your arteries which narrows the blood vessels. But they are not all bad for you. You can lower the bad type of cholesterol (LDL - low density lipoprotein) and increase the good type of cholesterol (HDL - high density lipoprotein) by altering your diet. LDL is responsible for clogging your blood vessels and HDL helps to "exile" the LDL to the liver where LDL is "destroyed". Hence it is beneficial to have higher level of HDL and less LDL in your blood.
Salmon Oil
Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon is an excellent source to boost up HDL in your blood stream. Omega-3 fatty acid is, indeed, a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids which can only be supplied by food sources. A study chaired by Gary J. Nelson, Ph.D., of the U.S. Dept of Agriculture's Western Human Nutrition Research Center in San Francisco, showed that HDL increased by 10% by just eating 20 days of a high salmon diet!
Moderation is the key. Include salmon (or other fish with high omega-3 content such us sardines and tuna) to your meals occasionally and enjoy its health benefits.
Salmon oil supplements are available on the market. Check with your doctor before consuming these pills as a single pill is more concentrated in Omega 3 fatty acids than 1 serving of salmon.
Caution: Do not take salmon oil supplements if you are taking a blood thinner drug as salmon oil supplements may further thin your blood.


Soy : Soy products are great substitutes for animal products. I love cooking tofu with various tasty Asian sauces and also enjoy drinking soy milk. Soy beans contain high amounts of protein which comprise of all essential amino acids (the only such vegetable source to do so). Soy beans are also a rich source of calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. Numerous scientific studies demonstrated that a diet containing significant soy protein may benefit heart health. In addition, more and more studies are being published suggesting other health benefits of soy such as the prevention of prostate & breast cancer as well as osteoporosis.


Greens : Green vegetables such as kale, chard, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc... are packed with vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and phytonutrients. They are very filling, high in fiber and low in calories. Personally, I like eating them cooked so I usually stir fry them in a non-stick pan, but it is absolutely fine to eat them raw as well so go ahead and toss them into your salad and reap the nutritional benefits!

Berries : Berries by far are my favorite fruits! They are loaded with Vitamin C, folate, fiber and phytonutrients. Indeed, fresh berries are some of the most powerful disease-fighting foods available as they top the ORAC score chart (a method of measuring antioxidant activity). Berries are easy to prepare - just wash and rinse - no need to peel at all! In addition, you may serve berries (fresh or baked) as part of a dessert dish.

Whole Grains:Whole grains have some valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables. They also contain B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber. The new 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that all adults eat half their grains as whole grains - that's 3 to 5 servings of whole grains a day. To include more servings of whole grains in your diet, use whole-wheat flour in your recipes instead of white flour. Look for the word "whole" when purchasing packaged foods such as cereals, biscuits, pasta and breads. In addition, try adding wild rice, brown rice, quinoa or barley in your soup to increase whole grain intake.


Tip 3: Watch for Portion Size
One serving of pasta means 1/2 cup of cooked pasta. However, most restaurants serve a pasta dish with 4 servings of pasta!!! You do not need to finish and clean off the plate every time. You can simply ask to take home the leftover.


Tip 4: Do not Skip Meals
Eating small frequent meals help to balance your calorie intake throughout the day and also keeps your blood sugar level balanced. Instead of eating 3 big meals, try to eat 5 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day.

4 Breakfast items you should Avoid:

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does breakfast give you the fuel to break the fast you have undergone during a good night's sleep. Breakfast also helps you concentrate better throughout the day and helps maintain your weight. For most people, breakfast is the only meal to include some vital nutrients such as calcium from milk as well as fiber and antioxidants from whole grains. Therefore, it is wise to choose healthy breakfast items to start your day and avoid breakfast items that have no nutritional value.
4 Breakfast items to avoid
Carrot Cake MuffinPerhaps the word "carrot" make it sound like a healthy breakfast item, but most commercial carrot cake muffins are high in fat and calories. One serving of this favorite breakfast muffin from a coffee chain store contains a whopping 680 kilocalories and 40 grams of fat! Indeed, most muffins and scones are high in fat. Scones, in particular, usually contain trans fat as well.
DoughnutsDoughnuts are fried breakfast foods. If you do not eat french fries for breakfast, why would you eat fried doughnuts? One piece of glazed doughnut from a doughnut chain store contains 200 kcal of empty calories with precious few nutrients. What is worse is that it contains four grams of trans fat per serving. That is already two times more than the recommended amount of trans fat a day. Doughnuts with fillings contain even higher amounts of calories and trans fat, so stay away from this breakfast treat!
Frozen WafflesSimilar to doughnuts, frozen waffles are another example of empty calories when it comes to breakfast foods. Most store-bought frozen waffles are basically refined grain combined with refined sugar and trans fat, lacking health-promoting vitamins, minerals and fiber. Most people add syrup and margarine on their breakfast waffles, hence adding even more calories and fat. Not a smart choice to start your day!
McDonald's Deluxe BreakfastWith such breakfast items as scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausages, pancakes and dressing and syrup, this deluxe breakfast contains a shocking 1,120 kcal and 61 grams of fat! With that much fat, it is like swallowing 13 teaspoons of vegetable oil in one setting! What is more shockingis that this breakfast item at McDonald's contains 11 g of trans fat, that is is 5 times more than the daily recommended amount of trans fat!
The recommended daily intake for dairy is three servings a day and whole grains is at least three servings daily. If you do not normally eat these foods for lunch or dinner, it is easier to include these items in breakfast. Hence, choose whole grains such as whole wheat bread, whole grain cereals or oatmeal if possible. In addition, include a serving of dairy such as low-fat milk or low-fat yogurt, which is rich in protein, calcium and potassium. In general, try including at least three food groups in your breakfast so that you do not need to prowl for a mid-morning snack.


Tip 5: Go for wholesome fresh foods
If possible, purchase fresh foods and avoid package (processed) and convenient foods such as fast food. Packaged and convenient foods are often higher in sodium and fat content. Many people we spoke to are amazed that they can easily lose weight by packing a home-cooked lunch to work instead of eating out.

Tip 6: Don't be overly-restrictive
Everyone has his or her favorite treats. Simply allow yourself a little indulgence, but watch out for the frequency and the quantity. Having a small treat once in a while can be rewarding to your weight loss experience. Cutting too much of your favorite treats usually lead to an early relapse.

Tip 7: Understand Food Claims and Labels
A product labelled with a fat-free claim does not mean that it is low in calories. Similarly a product labelled as low-sugar or low-carb does not mean it is low in fat or calories. Always read the nutrition label on the packaging.

Tip 8: Watch for the sugary drinks
Juices, pop, cream & sugar in your coffee or tea all add up. Opt for drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. In addition to providing hydration to your body, it will also help you feel full.
5 Myths about Drinks

Top 5 Myths about Drinks - debunked by Dietitians
1.
Diet Pop is healthier than Regular PopOne can of regular pop contains about 135 kilocalories whereas a can of diet pop contains less than 10 kilocalories; some even contain zero kilocalories. Therefore, it is true that diet pop contains fewer calories. However, it is rather difficult to agree that diet pop is "healthier" as there is really nothing healthy about artificially colored and flavored water.
2.
It is less fattening to drink juice than milkMany people are surprised to learn that a glass of juice contains more calories than a glass of one percent milk. Even two percent milk has only 10 kilocalories more than a glass of fruit juice, which has 120 kilocalories! While juice contains mostly sugar and some vitamins, milk has more nutrients such as protein, calcium, potassium and Vitamin D.
3.
All bottled waters such as sparkling water, tonic water, flavored water, and mineral water are WATERYes, plain bottled water is water and is calorie-free. Some flavored waters are made with water and real juice. However, many flavored waters are flavored with artificial sweeteners and contain little juice. Tonic water, for instance, has 125 kilocalories per serving. Hence, always read the label and check the ingredient list. If you drink bottled water instead of tap water regularly, make sure it contains fluoride.
4.
Drinking wine instead of beer won't make a beer-bellyIt is a common misconception that wine contains fewer calories than beer. It is simply not true. One glass of wine (five ounces) contains about 130 kilocalories whereas one bottle of beer (12 ounces) has about 150 kilocalories. Therefore, wine contains more calories on a per-ounce basis. As a general rule, the sweeter the wine, the more sugar and calories it contains. By the same token for hard liquor; the higher the proof, the higher the calories.Remember this next time when you are contemplating a second helping of alcohol: calories from alcohol tend to be stored as fat in the abdomen. So, if you drink alcohol on a regular basis (regardless of the kinds of alcohol), watch out for the beer-belly!
5.
Coffee is the main source of caffeineFriends have often told me that they quit drinking coffee for the sake of their hearts. Little did they know that the can of pop in their hands has caffeine, too! Caffeine is widely found in tea and canned drinks. Some drinks, such as Jolt and Red Bull, contain as much caffeine as coffee! In general, there is no harm to your health if you drink coffee in small to moderate amounts. However, it is advised that people with high blood pressure and pregnant women limit their caffeine consumption.
The Bottom Line
By substituting a can of pop or juice with a bottle of water every day, you may lose as many as 15 pounds per year. In addition, walking the stairs for 15 minutes every day, for instance, can help burn about 100 calories. It is that easy!
Remember, you always have a choice. When purchasing a bottle or canned drink, make it a habit to check the Nutrition Facts. Try bringing your own drink to work instead of choosing one from a vending machine with limited choice. This will not only save your wallet but also your waistline.


Tip 9: Keep a food journal
Keeping a food journal helps you pin point your eating pattern and will enable you to easily modify it. If possible, have your Registered Dietitian review your journal.


Tip 10: Exercise, period
Most authorities recommend 30 - 60 minutes of physical activity a day to stay healthy. Also try adding weight-bearing exercises at least 2 times a week. This will help burn some of the unwanted calories.