Kasia the Expert

As our group of 22 weight loss hopefuls lost only a total of about 4 pounds last week I can imagine how frustrated everyone must feel. While some people, including myself, maintained weight loss, others have gained as much as 3 pounds. We all know that it is not easy to lose weight, but to keep the weight off seems to be a bigger challenge. So what is the best way to maintain your weight loss?

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) is an organization tracking over 5,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time. It reports that those who lost weight and kept it off modified their food intake in some way and increased their physical activity. No surprises there.

The specific tactics that these successful losers used were: most ate breakfast every day, weighed themselves at least once a week, watched less than 10 hours of TV per week, and exercised, on average, about 1 hour per day.

The habits of those who lose weight and keep it off demonstrate how weight loss and maintenance is about a commitment to a lifestyle change.

For me, this change is gradual.  I am already participating in the Balanced Lifestyle Program through Start Making Choices.  I like having daily breakfast, and the one strategy that is really easy for me is watching TV less than 10 hours a week - my toddler makes sure I don't have that much relaxation time!

I've already increased the amount of my daily physical activity, but there is plenty of room for improvement to reach 1 hour of exercise a day. Just like any other lifestyle change, I will need to do it gradually.

Ever sit down at a restaurant, open up the menu and think to yourself "what is that?!".  With restaurant trends steering toward 'health & wellness', portion control, and global tastes, it's no wonder our restaurant lingo is a little rusty.  The other night, while dining out for a friend's birthday celebration at a new restaurant, I was a bit surprised to realize just how clueless I, myself, was when it comes to cuisine lingo.  Here are a few newer terms that you might encounter on your next restaurant visit:

Tapas:  [TAH-pahs]:  Popular throughout Spain in bars and restaurants, tapas are appetizers that usually accompany sherry wine or other cocktails.  They may form an entire meal, consisting of several appetizers, and can range from simple items such as olives or cubes of ham and cheese to more elaborate preparations like cold omelets and stuffed peppers.

Meze:  [meh-ZAY]:  Greek for 'appetizer' and consists of dishes such as salty, spicy seafood, traditional vegetable salads, or Greek cheese like feta and kasseri.

Dim sum:  [DIHM SUHM]:  Cantonese for "heart's delight", and includes a variety of small, mouth-watering dishes such as steamed or fried dumplings, shrimp balls and Chinese pastries.

Mini bites:  Think juicy, tiny replicas of your favorite burgers, hotdogs and even sandwiches, but with a fraction of the calories.

 Dessert shots:  Shot glasses filled with a taste of your favorite dessert.  Designed for you to just have a taste of something sweet, or sample many different flavors.

As you can see, these worldly traditions dovetail with the health trend toward smaller portion sizes to help control weight.  It's the perfect way to indulge your cravings in a few bites, as well as sample a different cuisine!

It's been two weeks since I joined a group of colleagues participating in a 10 week contest to lose weight. The good news is that in the first two weeks our group of 22 motivated individuals lost a total of 46 pounds!

I was pleased to see that no one had lost an excessive amount of weight, as that would surely come back on quickly as it was lost.  On the other hand, I have noticed some extreme attempts to lose weight.  A few of my coworkers have gone on a variety of deprivation diets which only work temporarily.  Others are enjoying a few great laughs by sabotaging anyone's attempt to cut back on high calorie foods.

For example, I've never seen so many boxes of fresh, gourmet pastries being brought to work and placed right next to the coffee maker where everyone stops by at least once a day. If you are familiar with the concept of "Mindless Eating" you know that given cues to eat, most of us tend to keep on eating...

This may explain why after the first week of the competition I lost two pounds and after the second week I lost no weight.

It's time for me to review my daily routine and determine what works and how it can be adjusted to help me continue to reach my goal.  While it is motivating and fun to have the support of others in this "contest", my goal remains a permanent weight loss achieved by adopting balanced lifestyle habits.

• My original plan to add a fruit or a veggie to every meal seemed simple but while fruit is my favorite and I eat it often, veggies are not. I've added salads to some meals but forgot to work veggies into snacks. I know my next grocery list will include these convenient-to-pack veggies: cherry tomatoes, radishes, celery, and snap peas. Of course, a low calorie dip will be on that list as well.
• Did you know that according to MyPyramid.gov it is possible to eat 28% less food just by serving it on a small plate instead of a large, dinner plate? This is a small and easy change I'm looking forward to making!
• As far as a physical activity, I'm proud to report that I take stairs everyday instead of an elevator and this week I signed up for cycling classes!