Christie Nicholson, MS, RD, LDN, Nutrition PlusStephanie Kinner, Dietetic Intern, East Carolina University
www.Nutrition-Plus.com

Starting A Healthy Lifestyle
It’s that time of year again, holiday over indulgence which leads to new year’s resolutions. If your like most people, come January 1st you will be making pledges to live a more healthful lifestyle and you will be setting goals and expectations for yourself to attain. We would like to help you set those goals and would like to help ensure that you can reach them.

Goals and Expectations.
It is critical to set goals and have expectations for yourself, however, it is imperative that you keep those expectations realistic. I’m sure many of you have seen the weight loss television programs out there that show people dramatically changing their lives right before our very eyes. These shows may be good to motivate us and get us going, but it is important to remember that these individuals are in a very controlled environment and although their weight loss is very dramatic, it is not realistic for all. Setting unrealistic expectations such as losing 9-10 pounds per week is likely to make you feel inadequate and feel a failure if you can’t do it. Setting small weight loss goals is most healthfully done between 0.5 pounds to 2 pounds per week. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, you didn’t put on the extra weight you have in one month, so don’t expect to lose it in one month. Also, you should work towards changing one aspect of your lifestyle at a time, trying to change everything all at once can oftentimes overwhelm us and those once great intentions become a burden and we tend to stop everything because it is just too hard.

What is a pound?
Let’s break this down into easier terms. I’m sure you’ve heard that one pound is equal to 3500 calories. If you were to want to lose one pound per week you would have to cut out that 3500 calories per week in order to achieve that goal. Now, in simpler terms this is about 500 calories per day. This seems much easier than the whole 3500, don’t you think? The way that you cut out the 500 calories is either through diet or by burning it in exercise. If you start exercising, you could burn 250 calories and eat 250 calories less, and by day 7 you will have lost one pound.



How to get started?
There are many tools on the internet that can aid someone towards beginning a healthy lifestyle. My favorites are MyPyramid.gov and CalorieKing.com. The first one I like to start with because it describes the food groups from the food pyramid and it personalizes it to your gender, age, height and weight. You can set up an eating plan just for you! The second I like to use to get a general idea of the amount of calories that are in what I am eating. Both sites are free and can be healthful if used correctly. Another great way to start new eating habits is to learn more about foods and eating habits from a Registered Dietitian. A Registered Dietitian can individualize plans for you, and can teach you the necessary tools to get you started. Changing your eating habits can be a difficult task. There are many conflicting ideas about weight loss on the internet, your dietitian can help wade you through the garbage and lead you to the good stuff. Contact Nutrition Plus for more information and to make an appointment to see a Registered Dietitian.