Low-Calorie Dieting For Dummies

Susan McQuillan, a registered dietitian, writes about food, nutrition, and weight control from her home in New York City. She received her bachelor’s degree in dietetics management from New York University and her master’s degree in human nutrition from Hunter College, both in Manhattan. She was formerly a food and nutrition editor at American Health magazine and Reader’s Digest general books division. Susan is the author of Breaking the Bonds of Food Addiction (Alpha/Penguin) and a contributor to many health and nutrition-related books and cookbooks. Her articles and recipes have appeared in Woman’s Day, Family Circle, Cooking Light, Prevention, Fitness, Women’s Sports and Fitness, McCall’s, and Fit Pregnancy magazines.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Conventions Used in This Book 2What You’re Not to Read 3Foolish Assumptions 3How This Book Is Organized 4Part I: Understanding the Basics of Low-Calorie Dieting 4Part II: Getting Started: The Four-Week Plan and Beyond 4Part III: Overcoming Obstacles and Moving On 5Part IV: Trying Time-Tested Low-Calorie Recipes 5Part V: The Part of Tens 5Part VI: Appendixes 5Icons Used in This Book 6Where to Go from Here 6Part I: Understanding the Basics of Low-Calorie Dieting 7Chapter 1: Living a Low-Calorie Lifestyle 9Deciding How Much Weight to Lose 10Understanding How to Live a Healthy Low-Calorie Lifestyle 12Getting Started on Your Low-Calorie Plan 13Psyching up with goals, tools, and more 13Setting up a low-calorie kitchen 14Planning marvelous meals 14Exercising to burn calories and improve your health 15Staying on the Low-Calorie Track 16Working through challenges 16Assessing your progress from time to time 17Looking for help 18Chapter 2: Figuring Out the State of Your Weight 19Ups and Downs: Discovering How People Gain and Lose Weight 20Understanding the basics: Metabolism 101 20Identifying calories and why they matter 21Figuring out why gaining weight is so easy for some people 22Recognizing why losing weight is so hard for some people 23A Trip through Time: Taking Stock of How You Arrived Here 23Reviewing your weight history 24Examining your family history 25A New Beginning: Altering Your Diet Plan 26For beginners only 27For pros 29Tools of the Trade: Figuring Out How Overweight You Are 30Interpreting a healthy weight range chart 31Computing your BMI 33Determining your waist-to-hip ratio 34Chapter 3: Working with Guidelines for Healthy Low-Calorie Living 37Cutting Calories for Weight-Loss Success 37Comparing low-calorie diets to other diets 38Figuring out what a “low-calorie” diet means to you 40Focusing on Formulas for Low-Calorie Living 41Determining the number of calories you need 42Using another formula for weight loss 43Understanding the Nutritional Nuts and Bolts of a Low-Calorie Diet 45Getting the nutrients you need 45Keeping your energy high and your diet interesting 51Using Proven Strategies for Cutting Calories 52Controlling portion size 52Eating “free” foods 53Watching calories from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats 55Part II: Getting Started: The Four-Week Plan and Beyond 59Chapter 4: Kick-Starting Your Low-Calorie Plan 61Examining Your Current Diet Habits 61Recognizing problem behaviors 62Playing diet games 63Giving Yourself a Lifestyle Makeover 65Making changes one step at a time 65Knowing your diet limits 66Keeping your diet fresh 67Checking Your Attitude 68Finding and maintaining your motivation 68Loosening up 68Staying positive 69Using Tracking Tools As You Get Started 70Establishing your weight goals 70Setting up your lifestyle goals 71Keeping a food diary 74Weighing in on a regular basis 77Practicing Mindful Low-Calorie Living 80Eating mindfully 80Thinking mindfully 81Chapter 5: Cooking in a Low-Calorie Kitchen 83Gearing Up for Low-Calorie Meals 83Following dietary guidelines 84Deciding which foods to eat 85Making a list and sticking to it 87Shopping for Low-Calorie Foods 88Reading the labels 89Going aisle by aisle 92Setting Up a Low-Calorie Kitchen 96Using the tools of the trade 97Brushing up on low-calorie cooking techniques 101Chapter 6: Planning Low-Calorie Menus: The First Four Weeks 109Preparing Yourself for the First Four Weeks 109Going by the numbers 110Following the rules as closely as possible 110Doing your own thing to keep the plan fresh 111Taking the Plunge: Week 1 112Day 1: 1,500 calories 112Day 2: 1,500 calories 113Day 3: 1,500 calories 114Day 4: 1,400 calories 115Day 5: 1,400 calories 116Day 6: 1,300 calories 116Day 7: 1,300 calories 117Whittling Down Your Calorie Intake: Week 2 118Day 8: 1,300 calories 118Day 9: 1,200 calories 119Day 10: 1,200 calories 119Day 11: 1,200 calories 120Day 12: 1,200 calories 121Day 13: 1,200 calories 121Day 14: 1,000 calories 122Making Adjustments: Week 3 123Day 15: 1,000 calories 123Day 16: 1,000 calories 124Day 17: 1,000 calories 124Day 18: 1,000 calories 125Day 19: 1,000 calories 126Day 20: 1,000 calories 126Day 21: 1,000 calories 127Watching Your Weight Drop: Week 4 128Day 22: 1,000 calories 128Day 23: 1,000 calories 129Day 24: 1,000 calories 129Day 25: 1,000 calories 130Day 26: 1,000 calories 131Day 27: 1,000 calories 131Day 28: 1,000 calories 132Chapter 7: Pulling through Your Plan’s First Few Months 133Reassessing Your Low-Calorie Plan 134Revisiting your goals 135Taking stock of your diet 136Making changes to fit your lifestyle 137Motivating Yourself, Bit by Bit 137Reaping rewards for sticking with your plan 138Finding diversions to avoid overeating 139Using the buddy system 141Getting into Fun Menu Plans 141High-protein day 142High-fiber day 143Dairy day 144Fruit fast day 145Grazing day 145Snack day 146Shake it up day 147Salad day 149International food day 149Dessert day 150Wine with dinner day 151Fast-food day 152Convenience food day 154Chapter 8: Working Out and Working the Weight Off 155Recognizing the Advantages of Different Kinds of Exercise 156Distinguishing between aerobic and anaerobic exercise 157Exploring the physical benefits of exercise 157Examining the psychological benefits of exercise 158Fitting Exercise into Your Life 159Easing into an exercise routine 160Organizing your workout schedule 160Increasing activity in your everyday routine 162Putting Together a Safe and Effective Exercise Plan 163Warming up, cooling down, and other workout essentials 163Burning more calories with aerobics 164Building your strength 167Exercising Additional Workout Options 169Stretching out 169Walking tall 170Finding alternative ways to burn calories 171Exercising for Body and Mind 173Knowing How Much Exercise Is Too Much 174Identifying the warning signs of too much exercise 174Overexercising to the extreme 175Part III: Overcoming Obstacles and Moving On 177Chapter 9: Making Your Way through Trials and Tribulations 179Recognizing and Solving Predictable Problems for Emotional Eaters 180Busting boredom 181Dealing with everyday frustrations 181Feeding your sorrow 183Meeting Typical Long-Term Challenges and Temptations 183Figuring out whether you’re truly hungry 183Satisfying cravings 185Avoiding binges 186Maintaining your interest and motivation 187Breaking through plateaus 187Eating Away from Home with Ease 188Dining out at restaurants 189Enjoying parties 190Celebrating holidays 191Traveling light 191Chapter 10: Staying Fit and Stopping Regain in Its Tracks 193Adding Calories and Keeping Up with Your Workouts 194Using a formula for the future 194Planning menus for weight maintenance 195Revisiting your exercise routine 199Managing Your Weight for the Long Term 200Reviewing what’s worked for you 200Pushing ahead with new ideas 201Coming to terms with your genes 202Checking your maintenance plan periodically 202Recognizing Your Body’s Changing Calorie and Nutritional Needs 203Staying lean and healthy at any age 203Working through normal stages of life 205Chapter 11: Helping Yourself with Outside Resources 207Asking Other Folks for Help 208Talking to friends and family 208Reaching out to find diet buddies and role models 210Sorting through Commercial Weight-Loss Plans 210Figuring out whether a commercial program can help you 211Asking the right questions 212Picking a suitable plan 213Getting the Scoop on Medically Supervised Programs 214Going lower than low 214Exploring your options 215Seeking Out Support Groups 216Overeaters Anonymous (OA) 217Taking Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) 217Other groups 217Considering Counseling 218Selecting the best type of counseling for your needs 219Finding a therapist 220Deciding to face your fears 221Part IV: Trying Time-Tested Low-Calorie Recipes 223Chapter 12: Benefiting from Breakfast 225Getting Off to a Good Start 225Recognizing great reasons to eat breakfast 226Keeping your morning meals interesting 228Eating on the run 228Drinking Up in the Morning 229Beginning Your Day with Berries 232Bulking Up Your Fiber Intake with Grains 235Making Eggs-cellent Breakfasts 242Chapter 13: Preparing Tasty Lunches 249Putting Together Midday Meals 250Packing a low-cal lunch 250Using low-cal leftovers 250Mixing Salads 251Making salads with meat and poultry 251Diving into seafood salads 256Tossing together grain and fruit salads 257Serving Up Sandwiches 261Savoring Soups 265Chapter 14: Sitting Down to Delicious Dinners 269Keeping Supper Simple and Enjoyable 269Planning ahead 270Portioning out 270Feeding the rest of the family 271Preparing Pleasing Poultry Dishes 271Fixing quick chicken dinners 271Putting a new twist on turkey 277Making the Most of Meat 279Beefing up your meals 279Picking pork and ham 282Fishing for Seafood Dinners 284Trying a Variety of Vegetarian Dishes 288Chapter 15: Fitting In Snacks and Desserts 293Being Smart about Munching between Meals 294Adding variety to snacks and desserts 294Grazing throughout the day 295Sampling 100-Calorie Snacks 296Treating yourself to sweet snacks 296Savoring salty snacks 29750 snacks worth 50 calories 301Dishing Up 100-Calorie Desserts 302Making the most of fruit 302Satisfying your sweet tooth with chocolate 306Part V: The Part of Tens 311Chapter 16: Ten Benefits of Following a Low-Calorie Diet 313Looking Good, Feeling Great 313Boosting Your Energy 314Sleeping Better 314Saving Your Back 315Lowering Your Blood Pressure 315Maintaining a Healthy Heart 316Preventing Diabetes 316Fighting Cancer 317Simplifying Pregnancy 318Living Longer 318Chapter 17: Ten Low-Calorie Success Stories 319Finally Fitting into My Genes 319Eating Small Portions All the Time 320Consuming Fewer Calories and Adding More Workouts 321Knowing What Works and Making Time for It 322Making Four the Magic Number 322Eating Smart While Eating Out and Cruising to a Lower Weight 323Having a Baby, Losing the Weight 324Counting Calories as the Years Go By 324Buddying Up to Lose Weight 325Staying Strong with “Want Power” 326Part VI: Appendixes 327Appendix A: Calorie Counts of Select Foods 329Appendix B: Calorie Counts by Food Groups 339Vegetables 339Fruits 340Proteins 342Grains and Starchy Vegetables 342Dairy Products 343Fats and High-Fat Foods 344Appendix C: Metric Conversion Guide 345Index 349