Weight loss goals set in January are so proverbial, they've become cliche. Rather than beating yourself up over previous failed attempts or jumping on board with a fad, "quick fix" diet---one reason for the redundancy of weight loss resolve---follow the American Dietetic Association's recommendation for long-term weight loss success. The big success secret? Adjust your food portions and choose healthy foods most often. MyPlate, LIVESTRONG.COM's free online food tracker and weight loss tool, can help you make those small daily changes that lead to big, lasting results.
Mindless eating can add hundreds, if not thousands of excess calories to one's diet. People who track their intake are much more likely to be successful in losing weight and keeping it off.
Registered Dietitian, Alyse Levine
First Things First
To get started, visit MyPlate and follow the registration prompts. Once you're in, you can begin recording your food intake straight away. MyPlate differs from other online calorie counters and weight loss programs, according to LIVESTRONG.COM nutrition advisor and registered dietitian Alyse Levine. MyPlate provides the world's most expansive, accurate food database. "It allows you to track your calorie intake and burn in order to better achieve your goals," she explains.
You can also browse weight-loss friendly alternatives to your favorite, frequently-eaten foods and learn how to choose and create healthy meals. MyPlate makes it easy to plan ahead and make tweaks to your current diet. Added bonus? You can ditch the feelings of deprivation that may stem from less-tasty "diet" foods or miniscule portions. If you'd normally eat steak and mashed potatoes, for example, MyPlate may encourage you to consume a large salad, a modest portion of lean beef and a baked sweet potato, seasoned with natural herbs instead. If you tend to eat similar meals---oatmeal, fruit and yogurt most mornings, for example---MyPlate allows you to save the menu so you'll never have to enter the details of the meal into the system again.
Those of you who prefer instant feedback are in luck, according to LIVESTRONG.COM community manager Susy Sedano. "We recently updated MyPlate so that members can design their plate their way," she explains. "Members can choose to have features displayed in Quick View or in Tabs, and we updated the Search feature to show real time results." In other words, you have the option to view your progress and results continually or check-in at your convenience.
As a MyPlate user you'll have additional support via easy access to LIVESTRONG.COM Groups and Forums. The site's inspirational resources can connect you with people with the very same weight loss or get fit goals. These additional inspirational tools serve as a very powerful resource. By connecting with others and reaching out for support instead of reaching for food, you'll learn healthy ways to cope with stress and cravings and broaden the pathway for improved physical and emotional well-being.
By the Numbers
In order to lose weight effectively, you must create a caloric deficit. In other words, the amount of calories you burn through activity must surpass those you consume. While fixating on "the numbers" isn't typically fun or necessary, general knowledge of how many calories you should eat is important. MyPlate takes the grunt work out of this process by determining your caloric needs and tabulating your daily intake for you.
To better understand your caloric needs, click the Calorie Goals tab. This will take you to a calculator, where you'll enter your age, height, current weight, your weekly weight loss goal and your activity level. You also have the option to gain weight or maintain your current weight. Weekly weight loss goals are important baby steps, which can enhance long-term success. MyPlate encourages weight-loss seekers to aim for a maximum loss of 2 pounds per week, which is considered safe and effective. Rapid weight loss, or 3 or more pounds of weight loss per week, can cause a variety of health problems, including increased risk for gallstones, heart beat irregularities and eventual weight gain, according to the Weight-control Information Network.
In addition to bypassing these complications, modest, gradual weight loss encouraged by MyPlate is less daunting than focusing on one large number. Imagine a high school graduate stating, "I'd like to ace the bar exam today." While the long-term goal is commendable, the student first has to get through college applications, registration, freshman through senior years of college and apply for law school. Beginning with the only end-goal may lead to frustration and dropping out. On the converse, slow, steady progress tends to last long-term.
Tracking your caloric burn, or energy burned through physical activity, is as important as tracking your food intake. MyPlate makes it easy to determine your daily caloric expenditure, whether you work out in a gym, take to the outdoors or simply clean your house. While 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity and regular resistance training is ideal for optimum health, weight control may require more activity and/or greater intensity exercise according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To learn ways to increase your activity, click the MyPlate Fitness tab. The database lists a grand spectrum of activities, from lesser-known niche hobbies to more conventional calorie scorchers, such as biking, jogging and dancing, which burn anywhere from 200 to 700 calories per hour.
In addition to tabulating your calorie intake and expenditure, MyPlate provides graphs and charts that reflect your progress. These visual aids provide encouragement when you're doing well, motivation when you're struggling and can help you observe weight-shift patterns. Women, for example, may experience modest weight gain each month due to hormonal changes. If you notice that every month around the 15th, your weight increases then drops a few days later, you're less likely to feel discouraged by the increase and less likely to give up. Since weight fluctuates continually, viewing a graph that shows a downward curve rather than fixating on the 1 or 2 pound increase since yesterday is more useful and encouraging.
Consistency Counts
Consistency is vital while using MyPlate and for weight loss in general. "So many people eat mindlessly these days," says Levine, "multitasking while they shovel food into their mouths, grazing on snacks every time they pass through the kitchen or the candy bowl on their co-workers desk. All this mindless eating can add hundreds, if not thousands of excess (and unwanted) calories to ones diet." If each time you eat a snack or meal, you record it on MyPlate, you'll become more mindful and less likely to overeat. "People who track their intake," Levine explains, "are much more likely to be successful in losing weight and keeping it off."
Consistency means tracking your foods, beverages and activity throughout each day, rather than in hindsight. Overweight people underestimate their caloric intake by roughly 40 percent compared to normal-weight individuals, according to Brian Wansink, Professor of Marketing and Applied Economics at Cornell University and author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think." If you try to recall what you ate for breakfast yesterday, your chances of underestimating are higher.
Vigilant tracking can also help you determine problem-areas in your lifestyle. "It highlights what is missing or in excess in your diet," according to Levine. "If you are consuming too many processed foods or not enough fruits and vegetables or too many refined carbohydrates, your food patterns become much more obvious." Recording your meal just before you eat can help you stick to a healthy, calorie-appropriate meal. If you don't have access to MyPlate at any given time, record your meal, snack or activity in a notebook. Sedano recommends using the Calorie Tracker app, which is available for Blackberry and iPhone. This app will allow you to track seamlessly, wherever you are.
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