Weekly Weight Loss Tips

Here are a few more tips to boost your weight loss!

• Eat some peanut butter! “Foods rich in monounsaturated fats (including nuts, peanut butter, olive and canola oils and avocados) can help you lose weight, according to a study conducted at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. Researchers studied 101 overweight people who were divided into two groups. One group was put on a lowfat diet that got about 20 percent of its calories from fat; the other followed a diet that got 35 percent of its calories from fat, mostly the monounsaturated kind. While both groups of women lost an average of 11 pounds in the first year, only those on the so-called "peanut butter" diet were able to keep the weight off for 18 months or longer.” Something to note, however, is that olive and canola oils cannot withstand high temperatures. The best oil to use for cooking at high temperatures is coconut oil. Also, when selecting peanut butter, check the ingredients! Most commercial peanut butters are what I call “peanut-flavored Crisco”. If the word “hydrogenated” or “partially-hydrogenated” is in the ingredients, DON’T BUY IT! Also avoid brands that have high fructose corn syrup added. Look for all natural peanut butter where the first ingredient listed actually is peanuts! Natural peanut butter usually separates so you will have to stir it after opening and also refrigerate it.


• Keep sipping! “Experts say you should drink enough water to equal half of your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 160 pounds, aim to drink 80 ounces a day. One way to keep tabs: Drink fluids with each meal and keep a water bottle with you at other times so you remember to drink, suggests Kimberly Glenn, M.S., R.D., L.D., a registered dietitian at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. Drinking adequate water will help keep you from mistaking thirst for hunger, which is a common pitfall.” Drinking adequate water throughout the day also boosts your metabolism!


• Skip the high-calorie drinks. "There are approximately nine packets of sugar and close to one hundred and fifty calories in one twelve-ounce can of soda or juice," says Netty Levine, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Smoothies and specialty coffee drinks often contain 250 to 500 calories, and that's not including the whipped cream. Ahem, I think that includes Frapuccinos.
  

Have a healthy day!