By ROBIN STOLOFF
hard to eat a salad when everyone else was having raviolis. Once I decided to do it, however, I was determined to make it happen. After I did, the pride I felt in realizing my goal affected every part of my life. I walked a little taller and had more confidence in myself. The biggest lesson I have learned is that the challenge and sacrifice is what makes the achievement so much sweeter. This holds true for more than weight loss and fitness. Once you have made up your mind, the next step is educating yourself and then setting a plan. I cannot emphasize this enough. Take some time in a quiet place and write down why you want to lose the weight along with a step-by-step plan on how you will do it. If you are not sure of the best plan for you, it would be worthwhile to talk with a nutritionist. Nancy Adler, of Nancy Adler Nutrition in Linwood, provides one-on-one consultation to discuss your nutrition goals and help you develop a customized plan that fits your lifestyle. She says one of the most effective weight loss tools is to keep a food journal. I know, I know, we are busy, we have stuff to do. Who has time? It only takes about five minutes after you eat to do it and it definitely works. The trick is to do it right after you eat and don’t try to remember everything at the end of the day. All of a sudden you realize just how much is going into your mouth. Those French fries from your kid’s plate, your friend’s desert that you finished, the bread you had at a restaurant; if you are brutally honest, you will see where the extra calories are coming from. Nancy says it is common for people to say, “I know what to do, I just don’t do it.” Her response is that a large percentage of her clients feel they know, but when you actually break down their diets, they are not making the best choices. She notes that most people tell her they have been thinking of calling her for years, but just could not do it. Then something triggers them. It could be a medical issue or an important event such as a wedding, or maybe they just cannot button their pants anymore. She says you have to really want it and advises her clients to be sure they are truly ready to make a lifestyle change. Once they do, she says their entire world is different. They have more energy and feel so much better about themselves. It changes their lives. Here are just a few tips Nancy recommends: l Plan your meals in advance. Like many of us, Nancy is very busy, and does not have time to cook during the week. She cooks her meals on Sundays so she has healthy food
available all week. l If you have the type of job that allows it, bring your lunch. Pack your lunch and a healthy snack or two. You will control portion size and you won’t be tempted to overeat at a restaurant, not to mention the money you will save. l Eat at least five times per day — three “regular” meals and two smaller meals. This keeps you from getting so hungry that you just eat whatever is available. l Don’t eat carbohydrates, such as pasta and bread, after 4 PM. l Limit sugar. If you want your body to burn fat as fuel, don’t feed it cheap, fast fuel that it will use instead. l To lose those last ten pounds, you have to have structure in your diet. Once you have reached your goal, you can have a “cheat meal” and you can have more flexibility. Until then, you need to follow a strict plan. l Weigh yourself only once a week. The body goes through normal fluctuations day by day. Who needs that kind of emotional roller coaster? Finally, get off the couch and move your body. This one comes from me. I would be remiss in writing an article on weight loss without mentioning physical activity. Teaching workout classes, playing sports, and working as a health reporter are all a part of my lifelong commitment to good health and physical fitness. It may sound corny, but it really has made a difference in my life. I have never left a workout and wished I had not done it. As I tell my workout class, “the hardest part is just getting your sneakers on.” While cardiovascular exercise is important in burning calories and overall health, weight or resistance training is just as crucial to staying lean and healthy. Diet and good nutrition play a much bigger role in weight loss, but it is not just about losing weight. It is about being healthy, strong and fit. It is about reducing the risk of illness and injury. After age 35, we lose about 5% muscle mass every ten years, unless we engage in regular physical fitness. If we were at a healthy weight at age 35 and we did not do anything to maintain muscle, we would need to eat between 150 and 450 fewer calories every day over the coming years, or we will gain weight. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so the more muscle mass we have, the more efficient we are at burning calories. The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends resistance training that focuses on all major muscle groups at least two times per week, but preferably more. njlifestyleonline.com
LIFESTYLE | Shore 2014
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