Dear Chef Kathleen,

I could really use some weight-loss tips. I know yours won't include snacking on celery and carrots. Thanks!

Jill


Dear Jill,

You're right! Play by these rules and you'll get the weight off! You don't have to give up your favorite comfort foods if you slim down your favorite recipes. Here's how:

1. Be a miser. Be frugal and save calories everywhere you can. If a salad dressing calls for a cup of olive oil, add it last and do so a tablespoon at a time, tasting between each addition. At 120 calories and 15 grams of fat per tablespoon, you'll see savings add up.
2. Fool your sweet tooth. When you're in the mood to bake, cut back on the sugar by 25 percent. It might seem drastic, but a cup of sugar contains 774 calories. Leave 1/4 cup in the sugar bowl, and you'll save 193 calories. Decide if you can cut back the sugar even more next time and make a note of it directly on the recipe.
3. Be a protein watch dog. A 32-ounce steak for one? A 3-pound meatloaf for 6? Not if you're trying to maintain a healthy heart! Most recipes call for more protein than you need. Four ounces is usually enough for one serving, so portion protein in advance of cooking. When you're reading through recipes, adjust the quantity of protein accordingly.
4. Dress for success. Make salad dressings that are good for you. Whisk in equal amounts of buttermilk and very low-fat mayonnaise, add honey mustard, finely minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste for a super fast and savory, guilt-free, good-for-you dressing.

In with the good
Sometimes all it takes to start losing weight is to increase the amount of good calories you consume in a day and to eat them first. Nine times out of 10, you'll consume smaller quantities of less nutritious foods.

1. Double up! On vegetables, of course. Full of bulk and fiber, super nutritious, low-calorie veggies will leave you feeling full longer, so whether you're cooking from scratch or dining out, double up on the veggies and eat them first.
   
2. Eat a rainbow. A diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables -- baby spinach and garden lettuces, strawberries, grapes, grated carrots, red and yellow bell pepper -- can help reduce risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
3. Trade up. Upgrade the quality of protein you consume. Lean cuts of chicken and fish go a lot further toward achieving good health than high-fat cuts of beef, sausage and bacon, which are higher in cholesterol and ounce for ounce more calorie-dense.
4. Jump! Jump-start healthy weight loss by adding as many soup and salad meals as you can. Hot soups loaded with vegetables and legumes take a longer time to consume, giving your brain plenty of time to register the food you're consuming.

Work in workouts
Make exercise non-negotiable. Do it for yourself, do it for your family. Lead by example. One of the greatest gifts you can give those you love is to instill in them good eating and good exercise habits. As little as a 5 percent reduction in body weight can help reduce some of the risk factors associated with obesity and can help improve some of the symptoms linked to diabetes, high cholesterol and diabetes.

1. Think out of the box. If you support a charity, chances are they sponsor a fun walk or fun run every year. Sign up and train for the event. Make it a family affair.
2. Walk and talk. Every time you answer the phone let it trigger a brisk walk or at least pacing. Ten five-minute standing-up phone calls a day and you'll burn 100 calories.
3. Take 10. Think you can't accomplish much in 10 minutes? Think again. Park your car an extra 10 minutes away from work and you can burn 43 calories before you clock in. Add another 43 for the trip back to your car, do that 5 days a week for a year and you can kiss 6 pounds of weight good-bye. Walk up the stairwells for 10 minutes during your lunch hour and 10 minutes back down and you'll burn 125 calories a trip. Do that 5 days a week for a year and you could lose 9 pounds.
4. Link your exercise to your passion. If you loved ice-skating as a child, you'll probably enjoy it again as an adult. If you sign up for scuba lessons, go early and swim a few laps before each class.

Good, better, best habits
It's no secret that bad eating and exercise habits can lead to weight gain and poor health. Challenge yourself to upgrade bad habits to better ones, better ones to excellent ones.

1. Car calories count. Eating in the car can be disastrous to your health. If you truly need to eat on the run, keep a cooler packed with the healthiest foods you can. Always pack fruit, and pack a bottle of water and one to spare.
2. Fast food at home. You don't have to cook from scratch 24-7 to win the weight you want. Microwave some fish and veggies and add pre-washed baby spinach tossed with light dressing to have dinner ready in a minute (or 2). A nutrition-packed tuna salad sandwich with white albacore tuna, celery, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes tossed with low-fat mayonnaise mixed with mustard and relish on whole grain bread is a fabulous lunch on the fly. Keep a rolodex of easy meals you can make in 5 minutes and keep all of the ingredients on hand at all times so you never need to call for carry out.
3. Power snacks power you. To sustain energy, every meal and snack needs to contain lean protein and a smart carb: oatmeal and fruit, peanut butter and apple wedges, a Medjool date and a couple of walnuts. When you need something a little more substantial, keep it lean -- a half of a whole-grain English muffin topped with chicken salad made with low-fat mayonnaise dressing, spinach leaves and a tomato slice will satisfy you straight through the afternoon.
4. Stock your pantry for good health. If you can only reach for good stuff, you'll only eat good stuff. Your environment is set up to ensure success or to bring on failure. You hold all the cards. Controlling the quality, variety and quantity of foods you eat is the only way to know what and how much you're truly consuming in a day. No one will ever care as much about your family's health as you do.

kd@chefkathleen.com