Five Quick and Easy Weight Loss Tips

Now that the holidays are behind us, it's time to survey the damage. Whether you need to lose those lingering five pounds or start to tackle fifty, it all starts with a commitment to good health.

As a cardiologist, I take care of people with heart disease, as well as people who are at high risk for developing it. By far, the majority of my patients are not only overweight, they are medically obese. Although many people consider the word "obesity" a judgment of character, it clearly is not. Big or small, we all have our indulgences and excesses. But when it comes to overweight and obesity, lives, and livelihoods, are at stake.

On average, obesity shortens our lifespans by 10-20 years.  It increases the risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, dementia, cancer, and a host of other really horrible things. People who are obese spend 36% more on health care and 77% more on medications than people of a healthy weight.

Obesity is a complicated problem, but controlling obesity and overweight boils down to eating fewer calories than you burn. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Figure out your basal metabolic rate (BMR) In my book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Heart Health: Dr. Sarah's Seven Steps to a Heart-Loving Lifestyle, I explain how to calculate your daily caloric requirements. It's really pretty simple. You can also find tables on line to help you do this. Once you know this number, you can figure out how many calories you need to achieve and maintain your weight goal.

2. Keep a food diary Most women understimate their daily calorie intake by 20%, and women who are trying to lose weight tend to do even worse. It turns out that simply keeping an (honest) diary of what, and exactly how much, you eat can reduce your calorie intake by as much as 30%, by making yourself stop and think, and be accountable. You can find a very comprehensive calorie guide at www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search

3. Eat an apple before a meal An apple is a great snack, packed with nutrients and heart healthy soluble fiber. It will fill you up and keep the "hungries" at bay. Several of my patients credit their apple snacks with contributing to their weight loss success- a claim backed up by recent research from Brazil.

4. If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it Choose foods that are closer to nature. The more complicated the ingredient list, the more likely it is to include calorie-laden unhealthy fats and simple starchy carbohydrates. Better yet, avoid packaged foods altogether. Many manufacturers have replaced trans fats with palm oil, which is pronounceable, but certainly not heart healthy.

5. Have a cup of tea As long as you're not sensitive to caffeine, tea is a great choice for morning or early afternoon. Drink it in place of a soda, for a calorie free alternative brimming with healthy anti-oxidants. Studies show that tea may even reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that can cause cravings for sweets and starchy foods.