Weight Management 26 Best Tips

Weight management " is the gentle term indicating a desire to achieve and maintain a healthy (desirable) body weight. January is the traditional month when new goals are set and new resolutions presumably come into effect. Today's column offers you 26 tips to help. Consider it to be "Weight Management 101" and enjoy a healthy entry into the New Year.

1. Never "Diet". Most diets fail. Just decide to develop some new, healthy eating habits. I am a fan of the 40% of Calories from complex carbohydrate, 30%  from lean protein and 30% from "good " fats. It is known as 40-30-30 eating. It is not a short term program but it is a lifestyle.
2. Control your Insulin. Insulin is the storage hormone and eating too many carbohydrates causes the insulin to remain high which encourages fat storage and discourages fat burning.
3. Calories count but don't count calories. Pay more attention to protein grams. Protein means - to come first - and eat slightly more carbohydrate grams than protein grams.
4. Eat protein in every meal and every snack - no exceptions. This will moderate the rise in blood sugar and control insulin. Use lean or low fat meats, dairy products, fish, soybean products, and eggs.
5. Always eat some protein first. Protein and fat slow digestion and help to control the rise in blood sugar. Protein and fat also aid in the control of appetite.
6. Eat good fat in every meal. You need the "Essential fats" to burn fat and create the super hormones of the body. Use nuts, seeds, (raw not roasted) avocados, fish oil, and supplements.
7. Avoid all high carbohydrate beverages (pop and juice). They raise blood sugar too fast.
8. Always eat before you are hungry. Plan ahead so you eat approximately every 3 hours. Grocery shop with a plan and list.
9. Exercise because it will help to control insulin. Approximately 4 hours per week of "conversational intensity" exercise should be a minimum. Preferably not all on the same day.
10. Don't weigh yourself more than once per month. Monitor your progress by how your clothes fit and the "Mirror Test".
11. Never skip breakfast. It is your first opportunity to set the blood sugar pattern straight. By the way, coffee by itself will raise the blood sugar by stimulating its release from the liver.
12. Starvation or missing meals is a prescription for disaster. The two quickest ways to slow your metabolism are to not eat and to not exercise.
13. Eat more small meals and snacks. I prefer the 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks per day. (following the rules of course).
14. Use low "Glycemic Index" fruits and vegetables. Glycemic Index or GI is a relative rate of the rise in blood sugar. See www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm for more on this subject. They have higher nutritional density and more fibre. Choose broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, Brussels sprouts, and salad greens for vegetables and use berries, cherries, apples, peaches, plums and pears for fruit.
15. Avoid high GI fruits and vegetables like white potatoes, carrots , parsnips, beets, rice, pasta, popcorn, breads, rice cakes ,bananas, dried fruits and juices. They all raise your blood sugar too quickly.
16. Avoid boxed cereals and anything "instant". Use large flake rolled oats or other unprocessed whole grains for cereals and pancakes.
17. Beans and lentils are mainly carbohydrates and nuts and peanut butter are mainly fat so treat them accordingly.
18. Use whipped butter instead of solid butter. You'll use less.
19. Never use cheap oils, deep fried grease and margarine of any kind.
20. If you must use sugar, use small amounts of crystalline fructose. It has a very low glycemic index.
21. Select your protein source first, then your vegetables. Good choices include chicken or steak or shrimp or crab on a Caesar salad.
22. Chicken fajita with no rice nor beans is a good choice.
23. Always choose thin (very thin) crust pizza with extra low glycemic index vegetables and extra low fat cheese.
24. Precede all alcohol with a protein appetizer. Shrimp, chicken, pate, crab, cheese, smoked salmon. (nuts if nothing else is available.)
25. Low fat latte or cappuccino is a good treat.
26. Open faced sandwiches using rye sour dough or real whole grain breads is a good way to control the carbohydrates. Eat only one slice with lots of fish, chicken, hamburger, etc. and vegetables.

Author

Dr. L. Lee Coyne, the Healthy Professor

Dr. Coyne is a former Professor of exercise physiology and nutrition and the nutrition coach to many high performance athletes including several Canadian Olympic teams. (Tanya Dubnicoff, Olympic cyclist, Michelle Morton, Olympic speed skater, several Olympic Biathletes, skiers and hockey players, Jamie Clarke, Everest Summiteers) and successful "Empty Quarter" desert expedition leader.

His writing appears regularly in the Fit Start insert of the Calgary Sun and a bi-monthly health and fitness magazine “Impact”.

His books include “Fat Won’t Make You Fat”, “The Sports Nutrition Coaches Handbook” & “Nutritional Symptomatology, the consumers handbook”. His most recent release is “The Little Book of Nutrition Nuggets”.

You may contact Lee through Fish Creek Publishing at 1-800-668-4042 or by e-mail dr.coyne@leanseekers.com or visit Dr. Coyne's website to purchase books and coaching online:
"Dr. L. Lee Coyne, the Healthy Professor"