Danville group hears of six sensible ways to lose weight

Donna Bruns lost 42 pounds.

The Callands resident reached her goal weight through the help of her support group Take Off Pounds Sensibly. She got her head straight and didn’t give up.

Bruns and 15 others either wanting to lose or keep the pounds off learned simple tips for weight-loss success at Monday night’s TOPS meeting at New Testament Church on Iris Lane in Danville.

Registered dietitian Jennifer H. Dietz, also a diabetes educator at Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville, N.C., boiled it down for them: “Bottom line: Eat less, move more. That’s it. It’s so simple.”

Dietz spent the past 13 years in her field and plans to open a private nutrition practice in Danville early next year. She preached moderation and the need to have a strong internal desire to lose weight to TOPS members. She offered six simple tips for weight-loss:

1. Look for the extra calories in your diet. What are you drinking? A 250-calorie soda once a day can add up to 7,000 calories and 2 pounds of body fat per month. Use artificial sweeteners or choose drinks with no sugar. Burn off or cut out 500 calories daily to lose a pound a week.

2. Don’t fry your food. Don’t add stick margarine or butter to foods. Those calories are more concentrated. Use the tub instead and get three times as much.

3. Eat only when hungry and stop when comfortably full. Pay attention when eating. Light some candles, play some music and make the meal an event. Try not to eat and watch TV. If you eat out of habit or boredom, get outside the house. Try volunteering.

4. Don’t eat out more than twice a week. It’s hard to have will power when you eat out. Portions are large and many people are members of the “clean your plate club.”

5. Exercise 30 to 60 minutes four or five times a week. Find activities you enjoy and just make sure to stay active in your daily routine. Gardening, car washing and walking all help.

6. Eat three meals a day. Don’t skip breakfast. Your metabolism slows to adjust, which means less calorie-burning.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly started meeting at New Testament Church seven years ago. The group meets every Monday.

For more information, visit http://www.tops.org or call local club leader Frances Tate at (434) 836-2645.