Top five: Experts give tips for losing weight, living a healthy life

Ormond Beach Observer
Opinion

Diet and exercise — you hear it all the time. But here are 25 health tips from five local gurus that you might not have thought of.

COMPILED BY WAYNE GRANT | STAFF WRITER

Dave Lieb, manager of Gold’s Gym, in Ormond Beach (master’s degree in physical education)

1. When counting calories, remember that 3,500 calories equals one pound of body weight. If you use equipment that shows how many calories you are burning, you can compare that to the calories you are eating and make sure you burn more than you eat.

2. Don’t weigh yourself too often. If you weigh yourself after drinking a lot of water, you’ll get a false reading. Weigh yourself in the morning, once a week.

3. More important than weight is body fat. Most gyms and some equipment can give you an electrical impedance test to check your body fat.

4. Use interval training in whatever you do so you can last longer. If walking, walk fast for a while and then slow down. Then, walk fast again.

5. Work the major muscle groups, such as the hips. A good exercise is squats or knee bends with weights. Walking builds endurance, not strength.

Artie Gardella, traveling trainer for Synergy Fitness Inc. (certified personal trainer throughout Volusia and Flagler counties)

1. No restarts. A little exercise is better than nothing. It’s not all or nothing. If you didn’t get a full workout, don’t feel you have to pick a day to “restart.” Just keep going with your schedule.
2. Get lots of proteins: It’s a muscle-builder and burns calories more efficiently. Thirty percent of calorie intake should be proteins.
3. Keep a record of food that you eat. The handful of chips and the cake at work will add up. At the end of the week, you’ll be surprised at all the things you eat.
4. Cut out whites: white rice, white bread, white pasta. Use whole grain instead, because they have complex carbohydrates. With whites, too much sugar goes quickly into the fat cells. Sugar is the enemy.5.Water, water, water. With enough water, the body functions efficiently. If you drink water at a restaurant, it will help you feel full.

Perry Clark, district manager of Planet Fitness, in Palm Coast (former YMCA senior service director and high school physical education teacher)

1. Have a plan for your exercise or workout. It doesn’t matter what the plan is, but if you don’t have a plan, you won't know what to change if it doesn’t work.

2. Use the buddy system. Get with someone with similar goals. It’s much more fun, and you’ll stick with it.

3. Find a friendly and comfortable place to work out.

4. Don’t overdo it at first so that you don’t get sore. Set reasonable goals.

5. We encourage healthy eating, but you can have food you enjoy, as long as it is not in excess.

Carol Gaines, board-certified family physician at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center, in Daytona Beach

1. Eat five to six small meals a day, to keep your metabolism running at a higher rate. These should be high in protein, low in fat and low in carbs: no-fat yogurt, cut veggies, rare or very little fruit.

2. Don’t do things that are high-impact if you are more than 50 pounds overweight. Every extra pound puts four pounds of pressure on your joints. So that 50 pounds becomes 200 pounds with each step.

3. Aim for the most nutrition with the fewest calories. Lean meats and veggies are your best bet. Avoid eating corn, peas, and beets.

4. Portion control, Portion control, Portion control. Read labels for portion size. Eat slowly. Sit down and eat, try NOT to jam food in while you are on the run.

5. Never eat ice cream. It is an incredibly addictive substance and usually eaten when we aren’t even hungry. Not even the low-fat, no-fat, no-sugar or low-sugar varieties. There is NO nutritional value in this.

Shelly Edens, registered dietitian and clinical nutrition manager at Florida Hospital Flagler, in Palm Coast

1. Control the carbs. Our bodies need carbohydrates, but not too much. When eating carbs, make the right choices. Whole grains and fruits are your best bet.

2. Plan your meals. If we wait until it's mealtime to decide what to eat, chances are we will go for the most convenient choice (which usually isn't the healthiest choice). Have nutritious snacks on hand (nuts, fruit, yogurt, protein bars) when you're on the go so you don't run to the nearest fast-food restaurant.

3. Make it a lifestyle, not a diet. No one wants to drop pounds just to gain them all back. Make choices that you can live with and maintain or you will find yourself in a "yo-yo dieting" rut.

4. Knowledge is power: Some of the foods we eat may not be as healthy as we think. Start reading labels and get familiar with what you're putting in your mouth.

5. Shop smart. The grocery store can be overwhelming if you aren't sure what the healthy choices are. Pick most items from the perimeter of the store to avoid the processed foods and added sugars.