QuickBites Weight-Loss Winners
The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) studies people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for a year or longer. More than 10,000 people have enrolled in the study. Once a year, members answer questions about their weight, diet, and exercise habits.
The huge study has a lot to tell us about what it takes to be a weight-loss winner. Basically, there is no magic bullet. Fad diets or weight-loss supplements aren’t the keys to success. Most people lose weight and keep it off with healthy choices. Registry members report:
• 98% cut back on food intake to lose weight.
• 94% increased their physical activity, usually by walking.
• 90% exercise about 1 hour per day.
• 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
These people also report that activity is an enjoyable part of their lives. They look at weight maintenance as a pleasure, not a chore.
Be a Winner! Get Moving!
Don’t put exercise on hold during the busy holiday season. Physical activity burns calories. Plus it helps lower stress and boost energy.
• Get serious about time management. Plan your day the night before. Rank your chores and commitments. Make sure exercise is near the top of your list.
• If there’s no time to dash off to the gym, devise a home workout routine. Crunches, push-ups and jumping rope can all be done in your jammies and without fancy equipment.
• Doing your holiday shopping online will save time. But it sure won’t burn calories. Strap on a pedometer and head into the city center to check out the shops. You’re sure to log a few thousand steps before you know it. (On average, 2,000 steps = 1 mile.)
• Keep a pair of walking shoes in your car so you’re always prepared for a quick walk. Stash warm socks, gloves, and a hat too. Walk a couple of quick laps around the parking lot when you’re waiting to pick up the kids from hockey practice. Or while the car’s in the shop for an oil change. Make the most of short blocks of time whenever they come up!
• Get active as a family. Go sledding, hiking, or skating over the school break. Even a visit to a museum keeps everyone moving for a couple of hours.
Biggest Winner
The Internet, cable TV, and blogs are full of weight-loss promises. Juicing, superfoods, and miracle herbs are touted as THE way to lose weight fast. But fad diets don’t produce winners in the weight-loss game.
Healthy weight loss relies on making the right food and lifestyle choices. Winning strategies include:
• Watch calories. Limit portion sizes. Calories add up fast, especially with plus-sized portions.
• Eat lots of fruits and veggies. They’re high in healthy fiber and low in calories.
• Limit fat. Gram for gram, fat has more calories than any other food.
• Choose whole foods. Processed foods tend to be high in salt, sugars, and fats. Whole foods deliver a better bang for your buck.
• Get moving. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week.
In this month’s newsletter, we’ll look at success strategies from the country’s largest study of weight loss.
Be a Winner! Eat Breakfast!
Three-fourths of NWCR members eat breakfast every day. And 90% say they have breakfast at least five days a week. “This suggests that starting the day with breakfast is an important strategy to lose weight and keep it off,” says James O. Hill, Ph.D., the Registry’s co-founder.
It makes sense. Eating early in the day will keep you from overeating later on. Breakfast jump-starts your metabolism. When you skip breakfast, you’re actually fasting for 15 hours straight, so you’re not producing the enzymes you need to burn fat.
Other studies have also found a link between skipping breakfast and type 2 diabetes. While it is not clear why the link exists, some experts suspect that eating breakfast helps stabilize blood-sugar levels during the day.
Breakfast also offers the chance to get nutrients that you might miss out on at lunch or dinner. Whole-wheat toast and whole-grain cereals deliver important fiber. Milk and yogurt bring calcium and protein to the meal. Fresh or dried fruits offer vital vitamins and minerals.
Homemade Granola Makes about 1 ½ pounds (5 cups)
Start the day off right. Most people who successfully maintain weight loss eat breakfast every day. Why not join them with a tasty bowlful of homemade granola!
Be sure to use old-fashioned – not quick or instant – rolled oats in your granola. We prefer jumbo rolled oats for this recipe. They’re chewier, wider, and thicker than ordinary rolled oats. For a gluten-free version of the recipe, use gluten-free oats and omit the wheat germ. Bob’s Red Mill (www.bobsredmill.com) offers gluten-free, extra-thick rolled oats.
Double or triple the recipe to make enough granola to give as healthy holiday gifts.
Recipe source: Healthy Living Kitchens
Resource: National Weight Control Registry, www.nwcr.ws
INGREDIENTS
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, preferably
extra thick or jumbo
2/3 cup toasted wheat germ
2/3 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup apple or orange juice
2 tablespoons safflower or other vegetable oil
a pinch of salt
2/3 cup dried berries (raisins, blueberries or cranberries)
1 tablespoon sugar
NUTRITION INFO PER ½ CUP SERVING
230 Calories 8g Protein
7g Fat 32g Carbohydrate
1.5g Saturated fat 5g Fiber
0g Trans fat 16mg Sodium
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 275F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine oats, wheat germ, almonds, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, heat maple syrup, juice, oil, and salt briefly until steaming. Drizzle the liquid over the oat mixture and stir to combine. Working with a handful at a time, squeeze some of the cereal to form small clusters.
3. Spread the granola on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the mixture once or twice. Add dried fruit and sugar and bake about 10 minutes longer, until the granola is golden brown.
4. Let the granola cool completely before storing in an airtight container
