| It took me a year and a half to lost 25 pounds | | | | FAVORITE FOOD? I'm a noodle nut and love |
| and my clothing size dropped from a 12 to an | | | | pasta in all forms. So I have to be careful when I |
| eight. Keeping a healthy weight was harder than | | | | eat Italian food. Most restaurants serve huge |
| losing weight. Most of the time I make good food | | | | portions of pasta. I estimate the serving size and |
| choices, but I can get off track at restaurants, | | | | usually eat a third or less. Ice cream is another |
| wedding receptions, and other social events.After | | | | one of my favorite foods and eat a particular |
| doing some research on weight loss I realized it | | | | brand that is fatfree and sugar-free.WHERE IS |
| comes down to what's on my plate. Amy Norton, | | | | THE FOOD ON THE PYRAMID? I follow the Mayo |
| in her Reuters article, "Cutting Calories, Portion | | | | Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid and plan meals |
| Sizes May Really Work," says portion size can | | | | around it. The meals I fix for my husband and I |
| play a vital role in the number of calories we eat. | | | | follow the pyramid guidelines pretty well. But I'm |
| "If there's more food on the plate, more goes in | | | | not always able to get quality produce in the |
| the stomach," she explains.So I developed a | | | | winter. (I live in Minnesota.) Often I have to go to |
| system for making healthy food choices. Before I | | | | several stores to get vegetables and fruits, but |
| eat anything I ask myself, "Do I want a portion | | | | our health is worth it.IS THIS A CALORIE DENSE |
| or a serving?" A portion is the amount of food I | | | | FOOD? The idea that eating too much fat makes |
| choose to eat, such as a large Chicken-Caesar | | | | you fat is false, according to the American |
| salad. A serving is a measured amount of food - | | | | Diabetes Association. Weight gain comes from |
| a cup, four ounces, one piece - based on | | | | eating too much food and too many calories. The |
| nutritional information.The answer to my portion | | | | association says "fat has more than twice as |
| or serving question depends on the answers to | | | | many calories as carbohydrates or protein." I eat |
| other questions.WHICH MEAL IS IT? Breakfast is | | | | calorie-dense foods, but small servings of them, |
| my start-up fuel for the day and I try to eat | | | | and have cut my protein intake by two |
| healthy. According to "Harvard Men's Health | | | | thirds.After working hard to lose weight I'm not |
| Watch," research findings suggest that breakfast | | | | going to blow it by gaining the weight back. The |
| eaters are leaner than those who skip breakfast. | | | | National Institutes of Health, in a publication titled |
| We have to make wise decisions, Harvard says, | | | | "Embrace Your Health," recommends smaller |
| and eat high-fiber cereals, low sugar or non-sugar | | | | amounts of food, ONE serving of high-calorie |
| cereals, nonfat milk, whole grain breads, soft | | | | foods, eating lower fat foods and lower calorie |
| margarine, and an occasional egg. I always eat | | | | foods. I try to follow these |
| two fruits for breakfast.AM I REALLY HUNGRY? | | | | recommendations.Deciding between a portion and |
| Humans eat for many reasons: hunger, family | | | | a serving took practice, but I've learned to do it in |
| pressure (Aunt Edith's famous dougnuts), social | | | | seconds. I'm very aware of how I "spend" my |
| pressure (everyone else is eating), anxiety, | | | | calories. Though I sometimes eat large portions, |
| boredom, and distraction. "Weight-Loss Help: How | | | | most of the time I eat normal servings. I walk |
| to Stop Emotional Eating," an article on | | | | 10,000 steps a day and have maintained a healthy |
| MayoClinic.com, notes that many of us turn to | | | | weight. Asking the question, "Do I want a portion |
| food for comfort. Emotional eating can sabotage | | | | or a serving?" may help you to keep a healthy |
| weight loss, Mayo continues, so "you need to | | | | weight, too.Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson |
| learn to recognize true hunger." I have learned to | | | | Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 |
| do this.WHAT ELSE HAVE I HAD? If I've already | | | | years. Her recent work focuses on health and |
| had three balanced meals and healthy snacks I | | | | wellness and she is a member of the Association |
| don't need popcorn and soda pop at the movies. | | | | of Health Care Journalists. Her 24th book, "Smiling |
| Though I don't keep a food diary, I keep a list of | | | | Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written |
| what I've eaten in my head. I don't snack before | | | | with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from A five-star |
| bedtime because I don't need the calories and | | | | review of the book is also posted on Amazon. |
| would have a poor night's sleep.IS IT A | | | | |