Set Realistic Weight Goals

cooking
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Unrealistic Goals

  • Weight loss of 10 pounds/month
  • Exercising every day
  • No restaurant dining
  • No snacking
  • No desserts
  • Strict diet
  • Skip breakfast or lunch every day
  • Buy special foods to lose weight

Realistic Goals

  • Weight loss of 1-2 pounds/month
  • Aim for exercise 5-6 days/week
  • Learn to make better choices at restaurants
  • Find satisfying low-cal snacks
  • Share an occasional dessert with other people
  • Eat some of the foods you like, but smaller portions
  • Eat healthy, lean breakfasts and lunches
  • Enjoy plenty of fruits and veggies, cooked whole grains and lean protein items

 Sample Goals:1. Aim for a weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds/month.2. Make a conscious effort to buy and eat more fruits and vegetables.3. Plan ahead for grocery shopping to avoid random purchases.4. Manage the food you keep on hand – go out for occasional treats instead of keeping them around the house.5. Make better and smaller choices when you eat at restaurants, eg. Soup and salad or appetizer and salad.6. Plan meals to avoid poor nutrition entrees.7. Bring a bag lunch from home when possible.8. Keep high-cal packaged snack foods out of the house.  By Jan Treft-Allen, RD.

Print Friendly and PDF
Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

Previous

Food Additives Promote ADHD
Next

Type 2 Diabetes and Diet