Lose Weight and Get Healthy at Work

If you're trying to slim down, then you've probably already established a support system of friends and family, and set up your environment (stocking your fridge with healthy foods, clearing cabinets of tempting treats, for example) to make weight loss a little easier. Both of these are important steps, but they don't quite cover all the bases because they overlook the place where most people spend a majority of their time—at work!

Your work environment can have a significant influence on whether or not you make healthful choices, and the ease with which you make them. Unfortunately, it often seems like the office is the place where healthy habits go to die—thanks to long hours spent behind a desk, and temptation (the communal candy dish, vending machine and happy hour) at every turn. But believe it or not, your workplace can actually provide the motivation to live healthier. Below are some tips on how to take charge and empower yourself, your colleagues, and your superiors to make your workplace a healthier place to be.

Step One: Find out about your company's wellness initiatives.
More and more companies are offering a variety of wellness programs to their employees; the thought is a healthy employee is a productive employee. These programs might range from events like walking challenges and health screenings to seminars delivered by health professionals. Many companies have also started offering regular workouts (like yoga or Pilates) right in the office while others partner up with local gyms to offer corporate discounts to  employees. Some companies even give their employees a fitness allowance, which can be used for gym memberships or fitness equipment. Unfortunately, many employees don't take advantage of these programs, either because they're not well-marketed and no one knows about them, or because people don't see the benefit. So your first step should be to find out what programs currently exist. Then get involved and encourage colleagues to participate, too. And finally, give the program directors feedback on what you'd like to see more of. If there isn't much going on in the way of wellness at your workplace, skip to the next step

Step Two: Start a wellness committee.
Workplace wellness can start with you! Whether there are programs currently offered or not, starting a group comprised of employees who value wellness and want to motivate others to do the same is a great way to empower yourself and the rest of your colleagues. The group's main objective should be to advocate for the types of events/programs that employees would like to see, and possibly even organizing these events and initiatives. The first step to forming such a committee is talking to your human resources director to see what the company polices are regarding forming a committee. Once you've received approval, you can begin to recruit people from around your company. (Try to make sure that every level of the company, including upper management, is represented on the committee so you can be certain that you're addressing the needs of all employees!) Then, write a letter from the group to upper management explaining how important wellness is to the employees, as well as how it can help decrease health-care costs, reduce absenteeism, and boost productivity in the long-term. Having the support of the head honchos will help generate significantly more participation in the events and support for initiatives that you decide to move forward with.

Step Three: Advocate for healthier eating options.
There are a number of things you can do to make it easier to eat more nutritiously at work. A few suggestions: If your office doesn't have a mini-kitchen area, talk to your supervisor about the possibility of setting one up. Or you could look into getting a mini-fridge for your desk or office so you can refrigerate home-made lunches and snacks. For catered meetings, suggest that healthy options be available; salad, fruit, lean protein sources (chicken and turkey in sandwiches, for instance), vegetable platters, and vegetable- or broth-based soups are all good suggestions. Talk to the cafeteria manager about adding healthier items to the menu and making nutrition information for foods served readily available. You can also speak to the person in charge of vending services about offering healthier vending machine options. Finally, consider finding a lunch swap partner. You bring a healthy lunch to share with a coworker one day, then he or she does it the next. It's a great way to try new lunches and also get a break from making lunch.

Step Four: Don't forget about the small things.
You've probably heard this before, but it's worth repeating: Be as active as you can during the workday. Take the stairs whenever possible. Walk to a coworker's office instead of emailing. You can even try to form a lunchtime or afternoon walking group.

Have a Weight Loss, Fitness or Healthy Eating Idea? Share It!

Tula Karras, our Rookie Diaries blogger (on the left in the photo), has shimmied around a pole, given up added sugar, eaten on the cheap, and even turned off the tube for a week—all to provide you with tips and strategies to help you live your best life. Now, she's taking requests: What healthy experiment would you like her to tackle next? Is there a new fitness trend or class you want to try but are anxious about? Is there a specific ingredient or type of cuisine you'd like to cook in your kitchen but haven't had the opportunity to sample yet yourself? Is there a weight loss trick or secret you've heard and were wondering about? Let Tula try it for you—and she'll offer you insight and advice on the experience. We can't wait to hear your ideas!

Five Ways to Spice Up Your Healthy Routine

Weight loss experts often recommend setting up—and sticking to—a healthy eating and fitness routine, and with good reason. Routines can help you stay on track. But there is one potential downside: It can be easy to fall into a rut when you're consistently following the same plan. The good news is there are plenty of ways to add a little bit of fun to your daily routine.

I know what you're thinking—you're probably a little nervous to try something new, whether it's a class at the gym or a new recipe or ingredient. You might be asking yourself: What if it's too difficult? What if I don't like it? Remember, variety is the spice of life. Sometimes you'll try something new and love it enough to add it to your weekly routine, and sometimes you won't. The point is, you tried something new and there's a certain amount of pleasure you can derive from putting yourself out there. After all, trying something and deciding it's not right for you allows you to make a decision based on real facts. Deciding something isn't right for you because you're afraid only limits your confidence and growth.

So, are you ready to try something new? Use one or more of tips for simple to switch things up a bit!

1. Host a healthful dinner party. You may cook for yourself or your family every night, but when was the last time you planned a three-course meal for a group of friends and family when you'd all have enough time to sit and savor every bite? Still trying to come up with an answer? If so, I have a great idea for you: Invite a few friends over for dinner and plan out a healthful, delicious menu. Have some fun with your menu and even (gasp) take a few risks. Make something you've never made before or use a seasonal ingredient in a new way. If you're stuck for ideas, check out the recipe database on TheBestLife.com or flip through the pages of a healthy cookbook (like The Best Life Diet Cookbook). Not only will your pals enjoy being pampered for a night, but you might just wind up with a few new favorite dishes.

2. Take a new exercise class. From belly dancing to ballet to boot camp, gyms and exercise studios offer a large assortment of creative classes. So step off the elliptical or treadmill and try your hand at a class that sounds fun or different. If you like it, you can take it on a regular basis. If you don't care for it, just think of it this way: You got a good workout and a chance to realize that you are totally capable of trying out new exercise classes without anything embarrassing happening.

3. Replace happy hour with a hike. For the next happy hour get-together with friends or co-workers, suggest that everyone meet for a hike or long walk instead. Yes, some people might need a little more convincing at first, but chances are that some fresh air and activity will make the whole group feel better. Consider this a double bonus if you struggle to fit exercise into your busy schedule—your happy hour hike is a great way to take care of social interaction and exercise in one fell swoop.

4. Plan an exercise-related activity for the weekend. Oftentimes, we think of weekends as a time to unwind. But relaxation isn't necessarily synonymous with rest. This weekend, plan an activity that gets your heart pumping—take the family to the skating rink or go to the park for a game of kickball. It doesn't matter what activity you do, the point is to make it active and to plan it into your schedule in advance.

5. Buy a spice you've never used...and use it. Make room in your spice rack for a new spice, such as cardamom, turmeric, lavender, juniper berries, or cumin. You can search for the spice name using TheBestLife.com recipe database to get ideas. Once you use it and get a feel for the flavor it adds to a recipe, you can start to experiment by adding it to dishes you make all the time. A new spice can make old standards taste completely different!

Little Weight Loss, Big Benefits

When you have a large task before you, whether it's work-related, a home improvement project or even a financial issue, breaking it down into smaller increments can make things seem much less overwhelming. The same is true for weight loss. In fact, aiming to lose just 10 percent of your total body weight—that's 18 pounds if you're 180—is a great place to start. This works for two reasons: It breaks bigger goals down into more manageable pieces and achieving that smaller goal can mean a big boost, both to your health and motivation. Here's what losing 10 percent can do for you (or someone you love)....

Decrease your diabetes risk. Your body uses insulin more efficiently when you drop some weight. This can help prevent pre-diabetes from developing into diabetes; or if you have already diabetes, it can make it easier to control your blood sugar and prevent serious complications like kidney disease, blindness, and neuropathy. Don't have diabetes or pre-diabetes? Dropping 10 percent of your weight can reduce your risk of getting it.

Help your heart. A 10 percent decrease in weight can help lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and triglycerides, all things that reduce your risk for heart disease.

Put more pep in your step. Imagine carrying five-, 10-, or 20-pound weights around with you while you try to jog, play tennis, or simply go for a walk. Losing 10 percent of your body weight can make exercise and everyday activities feel like less of a struggle. You'll be more energized and literally "lighter on your feet!"

Help you sleep more soundly. People who are overweight are more likely to have sleep apnea, a condition in which you stop breathing for short periods during the night. Sleep apnea can leave you feeling sleepy during the day, interfere with your concentration and even lead to heart failure. Losing weight can significantly reduce your risk for the disease—or help you reverse the condition if you already have it.

Increase your motivation to lose more. Losing that first 10 percent can be a powerful motivator to keep up the good work. Once you've met that goal, know you can do it, have seen the benefits, and know what it takes to get there, you'll not only be driven to keep going but you'll be realistic about how much more weight you want to lose and how long it will likely take.

The Rookie Diaries: Getting a Healthy Dose of Fiber—and Liking it!

If there is one word that elicits more of a groan from healthy eaters than "fiber," I'd like to hear it (seriously, feel free to come up with equally frightening alternatives—honorable mention goes to "flax"). What comes to mind when you hear these five letters strung together? Shredded wood chips passing as cereal. Whole-grain bread so heavy and dense you could use it as a dumbbell. Sinewy vegetables that won't dissolve, no matter how long you chew them. Most of us think of fiber as the polar opposite of cake and candy and creamy goodness.

And yet…there's no denying its power as a dietary wonder. The science is solid: Fiber can lower your risk for cancer (it's found mostly plants, so you get cancer-fighting phytochemicals along with it); it's linked to a reduction in total cholesterol and, hence, heart disease; and fiber can help with weight-loss because it adds bulk to food without adding calories (we don't digest it), so it helps fill you up for less. (And yes, it's often referred to as "nature's broom" because it, ahem, "sweeps" things through our digestive tract, but you already knew that.) People are always looking for a magic bullet for weight loss, and fiber is as close as any nutrient to fitting the bill. Women need 25 grams of it daily; men 38. In fact, if you only made food choices based on fiber content as you tried to meet your daily requirement, you'd be eating an incredibly healthy diet, and one that would likely shed pounds as well, as you'd be eating mostly whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables.

I eat fairly healthfully, though I don't go overboard. I certainly don't choose foods just for their fiber content, though it's in the back of my mind—like the soundtrack of a movie, I know it's contributing to the experience, but it's not the main attraction. Still, I assumed I was getting close to the 25 g requirement, I just wasn't quite sure how close. So I tracked my fiber intake for a day to see if I met the mark. Here's how I did:

Breakfast
½ cup whole-grain flakes cereal (3 g fiber) topped with ¼ cup blueberries (.9 g), ½ cup fat-free milk (0 g), 1 cup coffee (0 g), ¼ cup fat-free milk (0 g)
Total: 3.9 g

Lunch
1 cup gazpacho made with 2 tomatoes (3 g fiber), ½ cucumber (.5 g), ¼ red onion (.5 g), 1/3 green pepper (.5 g); 1 medium whole-grain roll (4.5 g); tuna sandwich with 3 ounces tuna (0 g) on whole-grain bread (2.8 g) with 1 lettuce leaf (.1 g); Diet Snapple.
Total: 11.9

Snack
2 sugar cookies (.2 g fiber), 1 chocolate chip cookie (.3 g)—a coworker was having a bake sale for a charity. I HAD to buy them, it was the right thing to do!
Total: .5 g

Dinner
5 ounces trout (0 g) covered in 2 tablespoons corn meal (.8 g), 2 tablespoons almond slices (1.4 g), topped with grape-mint relish: 2 tablespoons chopped red onion (.5 g), ¼ cup red grapes (.4 g), 6 mint leaves (0 g), 1½ cups lettuce (1.5 g), ½ cucumber (.5 g), 5 black olives (.5 g).
Total: 5.6 g

Dessert
½ cup cinnamon apple sauce (1.35), 1 mini bag 100-calorie popcorn (4 g)
Total: 5.35 g

Day's Total: 27.25 g fiber

Hoorah! I did it. And you know what tipped me over the edge? My end-of-day snack of popcorn with a whopping 4 grams for just 100 calories! And when I look back over my diet, there's not a single meal that says "cardboard" or "mealy mush" or "laxative." Even my whole-grain breakfast flakes were sweet with the addition of fresh blueberries. And all of the yummy Best Life Meals and Snacks will add up to at least 25 grams of fiber/day, so you don't have to worry about adding up your grams if you're following Bob's meal plans. So let's recap, what did we learn?

• You can get enough fiber and eat tasty food—the two are not mutually exclusive.

• Popcorn is an amazing source of fiber (just make sure it's air-popped and not dripping in butter; try Smart Balance's Smart 'n Healthy popcorn, which is Best Life approved).

• Cookies are not a good source of fiber (sob).

• Foods that are round (olives, grapes, blueberries, tomatoes) have decent amounts of fiber

• Fish has no fiber (but it's still a lean source of protein, so who cares?).

• Corn meal has fiber—cover everything you can in corn meal!

• It's summertime, so chilled gazpacho is a no-brainer. With nearly 5 g of fiber, it's almost 20 percent of your requirement.

Your Three-Step Plan for Getting Back on Track with Healthy Eating

Ever made one bad eating choice that led to another…and another…and another? Before you knew it, you were so far from your regular healthy-eating routine that you weren't sure how to get back on track. Maybe your schedule changed and you weren't prepared with a backup plan for healthy eating, or perhaps you had to take an unexpected trip or deal with a family emergency and were left with no time to exercise—whatever the cause, it's important that you pinpoint it so you can prevent it in the future. Just as important to your success: Figuring out how to stop the spiral, pick yourself back up and get on the path to your health and weight loss goals once more. The sooner you do this, the easier it is, so remind yourself that you can't change the past, and start focusing on the future. These strategies can help you get going:

Step One: Forget about food.
When you're not making healthy choices, it's often a result of feeling lousy about yourself or a specific situation in your life. At first, eating a few things that might not fit into your plan–cookies, chips, fried chicken with fries—seems harmless enough, but emotions can get in the way of your usual inhibitions; you may not have the willpower or desire to limit yourself to only a few bites or an indulgent meal or two. And soon, you're bingeing on all of these once off-limit foods, which you now think you deserve. The result: You feel even worse about yourself. I once had a client explain her thinking this way "I eat initially because I think it will make me feel better, and then because I feel badly about failing at my diet, I just keep eating things I know aren't good for me because I don't feel that I deserve any better. Before I know it, it's like I'm at the point of no return."

The solution: Forgetting all about food, at least for a while. You might think being really strict with your food is the best way to get back on track, but I've found the opposite is true. So find a non-food way to make yourself better: Start by wearing clothing you feel good in, taking pride in your appearance by getting your hair or nails done, going to a spa or even giving yourself an at-home facial. When you do something that makes you feel great on the outside, it's likely your eating habits will follow suit.

Step Two: Make one small switch.
It usually takes just one positive change in your eating behavior to trigger a ripple effect of additional positive changes, said Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab in Ithaca, at a recent nutrition conference I attended. So after you've completed the first step, turn your focus back to food, and make one healthy-eating decision. For instance, go to a farmers market and buy fresh ingredients to make a gourmet salad or stir-fry. This simple act serves as a powerful reminder that you deserve to treat your body well.  

Step Three: Get rid of all-or-nothing thinking.
When you're in a downward spiral, it's easy to think in terms of going all out. For example, "If I'm going to eat fast food or pizza anyway, I'm going to have as much as I want." What you fail to acknowledge in this thinking is that there is a middle ground. For instance, there is a huge difference between eating one or two slices of pizza with a big salad on the side and eating three or four (or more) slices; or ordering a small hamburger and small fries versus a deluxe burger with a large fries and a soda. In other words, when you acknowledge this middle ground, you can indulge in heavier fare without dooming your diet and falling into a spiral. Show yourself that you can control your cravings by eating one of your craved foods in a small amount—once you do it, you'll know you can do it again. 

Your Family and Friends: Healthy-Lifestyle Supporters or Saboteurs?

In a perfect world, all the people around you would cheer you on as you made healthy eating and exercise choices—hitting the gym instead of happy hour, ordering the fish dish instead of the greasy cheeseburger special and going for a walk instead of vegging out in front of the tube. But in reality, you may have to deal with a spouse who doesn't understand or support your new healthy lifestyle, or children or friends who feel like the changes you're making negatively affect them. Don't let them zap your motivation–no matter how tricky the situation, there's almost always a fix. Check out the scenarios below and see how to turn things around.

Motivation zapper: Your significant other doesn't like your gym time
The fix: When you work out, you have more energy, are in a better mood, feel better about yourself, and have a better relationship with everyone around you. You understand this, but your significant other might not. Explain to him or her that your daily gym time actually helps make you a better partner. You can also offer to be flexible about the times of your workouts (you can plan to go to the gym while he's at work or mowing the lawn) and the types of exercise you do—perhaps you can invite him along for a long walk, hike or bike ride.

Motivation zapper: The kids aren't keen on quinoa.
The fix: Believe it or not, the best way to get kids on board with a healthy-eating regimen is to give them the benefit of the doubt and go into each meal assuming that your family will try everything offered (they don't have to love it—they just need to try it). It can also help to stay positive—your encouraging attitude can go a long way toward convincing your kids that eating healthfully can be fun and tasty. And finally, you can help ease reluctant kids into a healthier eating regimen by meeting them in the middle. For instance, if they love pizza, make "pizza pasta" using whole-grain pasta, veggie-packed tomato sauce, part-skim mozzarella, and lean chicken sausage. Be sure to offer a variety of foods at family dinners, encourage everyone to try everything, and don't take it personally if everyone's taste preferences don't match; give yourself a pat on the back for having a family meal together!

Motivation zapper: Your friends are hurt because you're skipping Happy Hour.
The fix: If the calories in the cocktails don't get you, the hot wings will—or so you tell yourself when your pals ask you to meet them for Happy Hour. While this after-work social tradition can tempt you to go off track (and dig into your gym time), there are strategies you can use to maintain your healthy lifestyle and your friendships, too. At the bar, try bypassing caloric beverages, and ordering sparkling water with a splash of juice. Forgo fatty appetizers and focus on catching up with your friends. And stay just long enough to mingle with everyone, then head out in time to make your spinning class. Another option: Forget happy hour altogether, and instead, invite your pals over to cook a healthy dinner at your place, meet up to go for a hike, hit up the bowling alley, or host a game night—all of these give you the chance to spend quality time with friends without the alcohol and fatty foods.

Motivation zapper: Co-workers bring treats to the office daily.
The fix: Cake in the breakroom, cookies on your co-workers desk, pastries in the conference room, cupcakes in the office kitchen—no matter which way you turn, it seems like there's a not-so-good-for-you goodie calling your name. While you can't always control what other people bring to work, you can control your choices. Be clear with yourself as to how and when you'd like to indulge in a treat. For instance, once a week you can have a small portion of a treat from the office, but the rest of the week you bring your own portion-controlled meals, snacks, and treats. To make this easier, be sure to have healthful options around that you can reach for when the office bakery is tempting you. Stock the fridge with baby carrots and salsa or hummus, nonfat plain yogurt, fruit, string cheese and bottled water. If you want to be in the room with everyone during an office celebration but don't want to have any of the daily dessert offering, arrive armed with a cup of tea or coffee that you can sip while chatting with colleagues. And finally, when it's your turn to bring something to share, opt for something like a beautiful grilled veggie platter or a mixed fruit tray with yogurt dip. Who knows, you might even start a new office trend.

The Rookie Diaries: The Top 8 Reasons to Use a Weight-Loss Meal Plan

As I type this, I am snacking on cheese. You know why? Because I'm not following a meal-plan. If I were following a meal-plan, I would have eaten my carefully calibrated 100-calorie treat for Sunday night and would be finished munching for the night, because the plan says so, and because I would know that I'd taken in enough calories for the day and that my body truly doesn't need more. I'm hyper-aware of this fact because I've just finished—for the first time in my life—a week-long, super healthy, slimming meal-plan. (I'm temporarily day-lighting as a magazine editor and tested out a meal plan for one of their upcoming articles.) I lost five pounds, painlessly.

What took me so long to see the light? It wasn't for lack of knowledge or effort. As a journalist who writes about nutrition, I'm familiar with what works. I've pieced together what I believed was a top-shelf concoction of strategies: cutting back on portions, eating more veggies, stepping up my exercise, saying "no" to dessert, not arriving hungry at the grocery store or happy hour. Despite the fact that my self-styled dieting behavior hasn't always yielded tangible results, I've enjoyed the freedom of going it on my own. I have always resisted the iron-clad restrictions of following a specific weight-loss meal plan, afraid it would turn me into a calorie-obsessed, uncreative eater, or that I'd be forced to endure tasteless, tiny morsels that comprise a joyless plan designed by a stern dietitian in a white lab coat whose greatest thrill in life is to ban cheese from my life.

Well, I stand corrected. I shudder to think of the pounds I could have left behind decades ago by just following instructions! Of course, it has to be the right meal-plan: It should be delicious, nutritious and provide enough calories to keep you full while reigning it in enough to create a calorie deficit. It should be designed by an R.D. or M.D.—or at least vetted by one—and fit your lifestyle. (The Best Life meal plans meet all these criteria, by the way.) Once you find that perfect-for-you plan, here's what you can expect to gain…and lose.

1. You will lose weight. Seriously, if you follow the plan—no cheating, no adapting it to include your beloved three-cheese lasagna, no over-measuring or under-achieving—you will eat less and drop pounds. It's a scientific fact, and it's a beautiful thing to behold when you test the theory. The Best Life meal plans offer six different calorie levels, so matter what your gender, activity level or current weight is, you're sure to find a calorie level that will keep you satisfied but still help you peel off pounds.

2. You will learn that 1 teaspoon of olive oil is about 1/16 of the amount you normally use. This was an epiphany to me. I'm half-Greek, so I think it's my cultural right to use olive oil generously, and magically not get fat. Yes, it's a great source of good fats—but I've been ignoring one of the two words in italics.  One teaspoon of olive oil has 40 calories, and 1 tablespoon has 120 calories. A good-quality olive oil will go a long ways, and 1 or 2 teaspoons is all you need to dress a salad (along with some vinegar or lemon) or sauté chicken or veggies.

3. You won't stress out about what you're going to eat for your next meal. You know that feeling when you come home from work, you're tired, you're stressed, so you call in take-out or snack for two hours straight on whatever is in your cupboards? Won't happen on a meal-plan. You will have planned to have the ingredients on-hand for your prescribed dinner (you will have taken the chicken out of the freezer to thaw or skipped the extra drink at happy hour so you can get home in time to cook). I won't lie—the planning is work and takes time. But with the plan's ingredients in your fridge and cupboards, you've already won half the battle.

4. You will learn new recipes. Some of these recipes you'll love, others not so much. But by the end of the week, you will have at minimum a handful of new, yummy, slimming favorites for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Admit it: Your current repertoire is getting old and could stand some new additions. Why not learn how to cook meals within a meal plan that's designed for weight loss?

5. You will realize that losing weight and being hungry do not have to go hand-in-hand. The only time I was hungry was at night, right before bed, during the hour I plop myself down on the couch and normally snack my way into a coma while watching reality TV. This doesn't even qualify as hunger—it's a craving tied to an ingrained habit. If the diet you're following includes no more than 30 percent of calories from fat (about 53 grams on a 1,600-calorie plan), with no more than 10 percent from saturated fat (about 16 g); about 20 percent of calories from protein; and the rest healthy carbs, you'll discover that you won't need more calories to feel satiated.

6. You will realize you've been gulping down a meal's worth of calories in the form of beverages. The plan didn't build in a caloric allotment for drinks other than skim milk. So I cut out juice, alcohol (OK, one night I drank two white wine spritzers) and soda. This was hard, because I am a juice fiend! I normally mix all manner of berry- and citrus-blend beverages with seltzer throughout the day. But I didn't miss it much on the diet, partially because I was eating plenty of whole fruit and getting my fix that way. I probably shaved off 200 calories a day on drinks alone.

7. You'll finally, finally recognize the importance of a healthy breakfast. Yes, you've heard it a gazillion times: it's the most important meal of the day. Well, this plan forced me to eat 400-calorie breakfasts with plenty of protein. The first few days it was hard because I'm normally not hungry in the a.m. But because I wasn't night-snacking, I was waking up with a healthy hunger. At work, I wasn't truly hungry until lunch because I'd had a filling breakfast, and so on and so on. The domino effect of a hearty morning meal could not be denied and accounted for a large part of the diet's success, in my opinion.

8. You won't have to worry you're not getting all your nutrients. If your plan is designed or co-created by a dietitian (they should have the letters 'R.D.' after their name), you're golden. Dietitians are programmed to build nutritionally balanced meal plans. They live for that moment when milligrams of this nutrient and that nutrient add up to the RDA and they can declare a diet "nutritionally sound!" You really couldn't do better yourself, so why try? I never ended a single day of my diet with the concern that I'd skimped on calcium sources or missed my fiber target. I felt confident that I was a walking, breathing advertisement for the Food Pyramid. Lose weight and get all your nutrients? It's a win-win (or rather a lose-win). You could say that I'm a meal plan convert now. Next up, The Best Life meal plans!

Show Yourself Some Love

Feeling good is often tied to looking good in our appearance-obsessed society. Many people think they can't be happy or don't deserve good things in life until they reach a certain weight or achieve a certain shape. This can sometimes be a good thing—the drive to look your best can motivate you to eat healthfully and/or work out regularly. But more often than not, it has a negative effect. The desire to achieve lofty (and often unrealistic) cultural body ideals can lead you to compare your body to others and feel bad about yourself. The result: You resort to unhealthy methods to lose weight, which typically backfire, causing you to feel like you've failed at another attempt when in fact, it was the unrealistic diet that was the real failure. Or, you become frustrated that your weight loss isn't going fast enough and therefore may not trust that the healthy changes you're making are really worth it, leading to unhealthy behaviors like bingeing (eating too much food too fast.) Both of these cycles can lead to gaining more weight than you started with, and ultimately, giving up trying to shed pounds altogether

If you've struggled with body image in the past (whether you've had the occasional 'fat' or 'off' day, or you rarely feel good about yourself), there's a way to turn things around and see yourself in a positive light. The four tips below are a great place to start—they can help transform you from self-critic to cheerleader. You'll find that when you;re in your own corner, it's a whole lot easier to talk yourself into making the healthy choices that will help you slim down. 

1. Look at yourself fondly. Focus on the qualities that make you shine as a person, such as being a good friend or parent, your sense of humor, your ability to solve any problem, etc. Remind yourself that who you are goes way deeper than what you look like. And surround yourself with a network of positive, supportive friends. They can encourage you when you feel down, and remind you of all your positive attributes.  

2. Practice positive self-talk. Just like harsh words can harm a relationship with a friend, a harsh "internal tongue" can do damage to your self-esteem and self-worth. Alternatively, if you're supportive and encouraging of yourself, just as you would be of a friend, you can improve your self-worth and make it more likely that you'll reach your goals. Feeling good about yourself means that you believe that you are worth the effort you’re putting in to make the changes, and that is the best motivation. When you catch yourself saying or thinking anything negative about yourself, stop. For example, if you make a mistake, instead of saying to yourself "I'm so stupid," say "I'm smart, I just made a mistake." To promote more positive self-talk in a tough situation, try thinking about a recent accomplishment (like completing a tough work project, getting a promotion, or helping a friend in trouble, etc.) to accentuate the positive. It might be tough at first to halt the negative thoughts, but the more you practice, the easier it gets.

3. Seek out positive media. Buy magazines that focus on a hobby or travel instead of a fashion or gossip magazine, watch a TV show on the Discovery Channel or a home improvement network instead of the prime time dramas that feature uber-skinny starlets, or pick up a fun book! All of these can prevent you from comparing yourself to the unhealthy images that create unrealistic expectations, and the resulting frustration when we don’t meet them.

4. Set goals that focus on things other than appearance, such as hiking a mountain, traveling to a foreign country, taking an art class, doing home improvements. There are lots of things out there that you can accomplish that don't have anything to do with appearance, and all of them can make you feel good about yourself.

Motivation How-To

There are lots of different reasons why people try to slim down and live healthier. Maybe you're hoping to lose weight to please a spouse or to "compete" with a slimmer friend or sibling. While these reasons may be good enough to get you started, they're not likely to keep you going, according to research from the University of Kentucky in Lexington and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

During their 16-week study, they found that people who were able to drop at least 5 percent of their weight and maintain that loss were more likely to identify personal reasons for wanting to lose weight. Perhaps they wanted to reduce their disease risk so they could be around to watch their children grow or maybe they simply wanted to give themselves the best chance of living the healthiest, most fulfilling life possible. The group that didn't hit the 5 percent weight loss mark or wasn't able maintain it were more likely to name external motivators for slimming down, such as pressure or guilt from others.

So, how can you tap into your inner motivation? Use the tips below to get started:

Renew your vows—every month! The researchers found that people who remained the most motivated at weeks four and eight of the study—two periods when motivation often wanes either because weight loss is slow or because the novelty of the initial weight loss has started to wear off—were most successful. So when you start, make a list of your strongest motivators to lose weight. Then, four weeks in, go back to that list and remind yourself of your initial motivation and the progress you've made so far. If your motivation hasn't changed, it's a good way to remind yourself why you made the changes in the first place.  If your reasons have shifted, this is a good opportunity to update them in order to keep that motivation up.

Post your progress. After you weigh yourself each week, write down the number on a stickie note and post it on the fridge Or, if you're a member of TheBestLife.com online program, you can try posting your weight within one of the community threads. Remember, weight fluctuations naturally, so in addition to weight, you may want to look at other measures of success, for instance trying on the same pair of "too-tight" pants each week to see if they get looser each week or tracking your energy levels to see if they improve as you get healthier and fitter.

Keep a log. Another interesting finding of this study is that the participants who lost the most weight were more likely to keep a food journal. If you're a regular food logger (whether online or on paper), keep up the good work? And if you struggle to log, make it easy by keeping notes on your computer, taking pictures of meals using your cell phone camera or leaving yourself voice memos.

Strengthen your muscles. We're talking about your motivation muscles here (though strengthening your body's muscles is important, too). Motivation takes practice—and the more you work on keeping yourself motivated, the stronger you become at it. Using the exercises here is a great start. You can also check out some of the motivational tools and articles on TheBestLife.com.