WheatFoods.org
Reaching Your Healthy Weight:
Weight Management Made Easier
Weight Management Is Harder
Than It Looks
• Majority of Americans are not at their
healthiest weight
• Many try unsuccessfully year after year to lose
weight only to find that it quickly comes back
• People turn to “fad” diets thinking perhaps
this is the diet that will work once and for all
How to Spot a Fad Diet
Why DO Fad Diets Seem to Work
for Awhile?
They result in a lower calorie intake
because they:
• Exclude one or more food groups
• Quickly become boring which, research
shows, results in less food (and calories)
consumed
• Use low carb intake to cause an initial
dramatic drop in body weight as carbohydrate
stores and water leave the body
Fad Diets Come and Go, But Your
Weight Remains the Same
• ANY diet will help you lose weight but to
protect your overall health, the key is keeping
your weight stable over the long term
Ready for a new approach?
Top Reasons to Give Up
Dieting FOREVER
•
•
•
•
Diets don't work
Diets are expensive
Diets are boring
Diets don't necessarily
improve your health
• Diets can make you
afraid of food
Rather than “Diet”….
• Try one of these…..
• They are eating “styles” rather than diets
• They focus on eating more fruits, vegetables,
legumes, nuts and whole grains
• All are highly associated with better health (more
stable blood sugar, lower blood pressure, lower
blood cholesterol, lower cancer risk)
Go Mediterranean
• More servings of plant foods like grains
(especially those with fiber), fruits and
vegetables, nuts and legumes
• Lean cuts of red meat
• More fish and seafood
• More olive oil, less of other oils
• More simply prepared foods with less sauces
and gravies
Make MyPlate Your Plate
MyPlate Key Tips
• Make half your plate
fruits and vegetables
• Eat 1% or fat-free dairy
products
• Avoid over-sized
portions: use smaller
plates, bowls, glasses
• Cut back on foods high
in solid fats, added
sugars and salts
• Make at least half your
grains whole grains
DASH Your Diet
• Is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and total fat
• Focuses on fruits, vegetables, and fat-free
or low-fat dairy products
• Is rich in whole grains, fish,
poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts
• Contains fewer sweets, added
sugars and sugary beverages
than the typical American diet
Finding YOUR Way to a Stable,
Healthy Weight that Works for YOU
• Eat mindfully: when you are eating put all of your
attention on the food and no where else
• Eat for hunger: make sure you are eating because
you are HUNGRY and not for other reasons
• Eat slowly: you’ll stop eating sooner and register
that you’ve had enough to eat
• Eat without guilt: consider whether the food you
are eating is an “everyday” food or a “sometimes”
food and eat accordingly, enjoying every bite
Simple Ways To Reduce Calories
100 extra calories/day = gain of about 10 pounds/year
Small, Simple Changes
Think Your Drink
What you “drink” may impact your weight
more than you think.
For Consideration: Are You
Really Hungry?
Food cues: our surroundings subconsciously
encourage us to eat (or eat more).
Tips to Avoid a “See Food” Diet
• To eat less: put foods away in cupboards and in
the back of the refrigerator
• To eat more of some kinds of foods (such as
fruits, vegetables and whole grains): keep them
visible on the counter
or at the front of
the refrigerator
Tips to Avoid a “See Food” Diet
• Serve foods from the kitchen rather than “family
style”
• At restaurants, ask for a take home container and
immediately package oversized portions when
your meal is served
• Try ordering just a healthy appetizer or side dish
• Split an entrée with a friend
Surprising Ways to Manage
Portions and Calories
• Large plates, bowls, and packages equal large
portions — and more calories
– Smaller plates (10 inches across)
– Tall, narrow glasses rather
than shorter, wide
• Eat from a plate, and
drink from a glass, not
from a bag or a bottle
Same amount of food
on different size plates
Add More Fiber
• Adding more fiber will make you feel fuller,
help with elimination, and lower the caloric
density of your diet
- Whole grains such as whole wheat, barley, oats,
corn, quinoa, and more
- Legumes: dried, fresh or frozen beans and peas
- Fruits and vegetables
A Few More Tips….
• ALWAYS check serving sizes
on packaged foods and drinks
• Use smaller serving dishes
and spoons
• Serve yourself: take just
enough, you can always
go back for more
Final Thoughts…
• Small changes over time add up to big
differences
– Reduce the amounts (portions) you eat to reduce
calories by adjusting plate size
– Increase fiber (whole grains, legumes, fruits,
vegetables) to reduce calories, increase fullness
– Increase physical activity level (by walking more,
engaging in a sport you like, go dancing) to
increase calories spent
– And remember, it takes time and will power to
make changes. But keep at it. Healthy eating does
make a difference in your overall health.
Additional Resources
• Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think We Eat
by Brian Wansink, PhD
• Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD
• Thin for Life by Anne Fletcher, MS, RD
• Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight
by Linda Bacon, PhD
• Wheat Foods Council, www.wheatfoods.org
• Wheat Foods Council on Facebook and Twitter,
Facebook.com/WheatFoods and Twitter.com/WheatFoods
Mediterranean Diet Resources
• Mediterranean diet:
http://oldwayspt.org/resources/heritagepyramids/mediterranean-diet-pyramid
• Mediterranean type recipes:
http://oldwayspt.org/recipes
MyPlate and DASH Resources
• MyPlate:
– Choose MyPlate website:
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ Choose MyPlate
Recipes: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthyeating-tips/sample-menus-recipes.html
• Dash: This link provides information, planning
sheets and recipes.
– http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hb
p/dash/new_dash.pdf
Thank you to our
expert reviewers
Karen Ensle EdD, RDN, FAND, CFCS
Dept Head/FCHS Educator/Associate Professor
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County, NJ
Alice Henneman, MS, RD
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County
Lynn C. Paul, EdD, RD
Montana State University Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist
Amy L. Peterson MS, RD, Extension Educator
University of Nebraska – Lincoln Extension