Most people think that the only way to lose weight is to give up the foods they love. And unfortunately that same person also thinks it must be done quickly. The problem with both these thoughts is that they are unrealistic.
Think about it: If you love bread and were told you could never eat it again, could you really sustain it? If you dropped 10 pounds in two weeks because you basically ate nothing, could you sustain it? After working with hundreds of patients, I can tell you the answer is NO.
The key to weight loss is in making gradual, small changes. It includes learning to prepare the foods you love in a healthier way so you don’t feel deprived and so that you are able to lose weight at the same time. Making these small changes leads to developing healthy habits that result in weight loss that can be sustained for a lifetime.
By making the small changes I outline here, you could easily lose 11 pounds in a year without much effort.
“Skinny” Your Meat
The first small change that can help you trim your waistline is to “skinny” your meat. Instead of fatty cuts of beef, learn to choose the lean cuts, i.e. flank, round or sirloin. Besides losing calories, you will also decrease your intake of saturated fat. For example, if you choose a sirloin steak over a ribeye steak, you could save 91 calories and 15.5 grams of fat per 4-ounce serving. In one year, you could lose three pounds with almost no effort and help decrease your risk for heart disease.
