FSS Newsletter :: April 2003

Simple Suggestions for Slimming Down

All or Nothing
"People put too much pressure on themselves to change everything in their diets, setting them up for failure," believes New York-based registered dietitian Shari Mermelstein. Her advice? Set your sights on making several small dietary and lifestyle changes, and you'll lose weight without really missing out.

Need some incentive? Try this on for size: Cut back 100 calories on a daily basis and you could lose about 10 1/2 pounds in a year. One 100 calories equals:
one cup of regular soda
1 tablespoon of butter
1 ounce of cheese

Skimming Off the Top
Here are seven simple get-that-excess-weight-off ideas:

1. A spoonful of sugar can add up over the course of a year. Add one less
   teaspoon sugar (15 calories) to your cup of morning and afternoon coffee
   each day and you will save about 10,000 calories - the equivalent of about 3 pounds per year.
2. Slim down that bowl of cereal: Switch from 1 cup regular whole milk to 1% milk (about 50 calories less per cup) every day. Once your taste buds adjust, you'll be thrilled! That's a tad more than 5 pounds lost by this same time next year.
3. Take the scenic route. Park your car as far as possible from the entrance
   to your office, the shopping mall or a restaurant and get those legs
   pumping. Ten minutes of daily moderate paced walking (five minutes each way burns about 20 calories) can take off four-plus pounds a year*.
4. Get your vitamin C boost with a whole orange (60 calories) instead of a cup of juice (110 calories) each day. Ka-ching, ka-ching! Your 12-month savings: 5 1/4 pounds.
5. Go calorie-free by switching from regular to diet soda (150 versus 0
   calories per can). If you drink one can per day, that's nearly 16 pounds
   lost in a year.
6. Flavor-up your sandwiches with very low-cal condiments like mustard or vinegar instead of calorie-packed butter. Leave off 1 tablespoon (100 calories) every day and you're looking at close to 10 1/2 pounds a year.
7. Down-size, don't super-size, fast food meals. Opt for a small McDonald's
   French fries (210 calories) instead of a large order (450 calories) at your
   weekly fast-food meal. You'll enjoy the same great taste all year long but
   with an added bonus: 3 1/2 pounds lost.