USA Nutrition experts offer 10 great ideas for losing weight

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Here are USA Nutrition experts offer 10 great ideas for losing weight from registered dietitians Dawn Jackson Blatner, Elizabeth Ward, Bonnie Taub-Dix and Keith Ayoob:

1. Set a realistic weight-loss goals. One-half a pound to 2 pounds a week is about right.

2. Keep track of what you consume. Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don’t, research shows.

3. Motivate yourself. Get a pair of jeans or pants that are too tight and hang them in the kitchen instead of the closet to keep yourself inspired.

4. Enlist the help of family and friends. Dieters who have support from a partner at home lose more weight than those who don’t, studies show.

5. Move it to lose it. Research shows that people who do physical activities such as walking or biking for two to four hours a week during weight-loss efforts lose extra pounds.

6. Pay attention to portions. A 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards; 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine, a standard postage stamp; a cup of cold cereal, berries or popcorn, a baseball; 4-inch pancake or waffle, the diameter of a CD.

USA Nutrition experts offer 10 great ideas for losing weight

7. Clean out your pantry and refrigerator. Get rid of the foods that sabotage your weight loss.

8. Create “a dinner deck.” This would include 10 favorite quick and healthful dinners written on index cards. Each card should list the ingredients for the recipe on one side and directions for making it on the other.

9. Avoid hunger. Eat regular meals and snacks. Make sure you have some protein foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans or chicken for most meals. Research suggests that protein helps you feel full longer.

10. Keep produce on hand. Place a bowl of vegetables such as broccoli, snap peas, cucumbers or carrot sticks in the refrigerator. You can eat them as a snack or when preparing meals to take the edge off your hunger.

USA Nutrition experts offer 10 great ideas for losing weight