By Andrea Parkinson
New York City Personal Trainer

I am asked this question repeatedly by new clients, friends and acquaintances. I always find myself a bit flummoxed by the quick and simple answer I know is expected of me. I find myself resisting the temptation to say something ridiculous like “Poppy Seeds! That’s it! You just eat Poppy Seeds all day every day, and you’ll be AMAZED. Just don’t forget to floss.” The silly response sits in my mouth like a truffle begging for ingestion. But this question and others like it deserve far more respect than a flippant comment. The earnest desire to understand how to fuel our bodies appropriately is welcome and needed in our culture of expanding waistlines and junk food marketing campaigns. Those of us who are not now obese, or even overweight often have to fight the urge to allow our appetites to expand with the rest of society’s. I wish I did have a quick and easy response. But I don’t, because sustained weight loss is rarely quick and never easy.

There are, however, some simple tips to keep in mind again and again…and again.

YOU CAN’T BUY WEIGHT LOSS: I am not a fan diet products. Any plan that requires you to purchase meals is not teaching you how to fend for yourself. The newest book by Dr. Whoozis that tells you to eat as much as you want of ___________ is making money for a publisher. And when you find yourself lingering by the fat burning section of your health food store, ask yourself if you really think that this product was manufactured and shipped for the results it promises. Or is this product simply part of a business model designed to make as much money as it can from a vulnerable market base without accountability?

LEARN TO LOVE MOVING YOUR BODY: Yup, I’m a trainer. I believe that the right fitness plan directly and indirectly addresses many health issues. Some of us want to hone in on perfecting a time in a race, some want efficacy in dealing an with an injury or illness. Thankfully there has been a recent spate of articles on the benefits of exercise for nearly everybody from the 18 year old co ed to the 78 year old who is recovering from a stroke. If you are reading this, chances are you are already aware of the numerous benefits of just moving your body, aka, exercise.

EXERCISE ALONE WILL NOT DO IT: Don’t get me wrong. A consistent, challenging and balanced exercise program will have you feeling a lot better about your shape and health as you tone up and build greater endurance. Vowing to hit the gym or the track five times a week will certainly burn some calories, maybe enough to work off a pound or two, but if you are looking for ten pounds or more, focusing on nutrition and creating the appropriate calorie deficit is key. Which brings me to the question we began with. “What should I eat to lose weight?” The answer is “whatever you want, but less of it.”

PORTION CONTROL: Even those of us who try to eat well often need a reality check as to exactly how much we are really eating vs. what is closer to an appropriate amount of food. So here’s a tip:

Get a child sized plate like this one:

Fill up one of the smaller top portions with your protein, meat, etc. Fill the other smaller top portion with your grain or starch. Fill the bottom larger part with vegetables, salad and maybe some fruit. Learn to recognize what appropriate portions of food are.
Our lovely First Lady has made it her focus to change some of the U.S.’s eating habits by eliminating the all too familiar Food Pyramid that was heavy on starches and creating Choose My Plate, which gives vegetables and fruits as the largest portion on the dinner tray. You can check out the site below for more information.

Choosemyplate.gov

And there you have it. Moderate weight loss in a healthy individual is not complicated. It doesn’t require much. In fact it requires less. You need to eat, but you need to eat less, and you need to figure out how to commit to that simple idea and practice it within your current lifestyle. You need to start slowly and cut back a little at a time to try for no more than two pounds of fat lost a week. You need to move your body to a sweat consistently throughout the week, every week. It’s not exciting. It requires an incredible amount of mental endurance and patience. It’s boring. But it’s possible! Just be sure to arm yourself with a bit of knowledge, a plan and a supportive network of people, and you’ll hit your chances are even better. Then you can answer the question “so what did you do to lose that weight?”