Five Ways to Take Off Pounds Now

Whether Americans know it or not, they need to go on a NicoDerm® diet. America is in the midst of an overweight and obesity epidemic, with fully two-thirds of adults considered “fat.” The government sends Americans the message that we must cut out all the foods we love from our diets immediately or suffer severe, life-threatening consequences.

Here are five simple ways consumers can successfully lower their daily calorie intake without disruption to their taste buds or lifestyles:

• Be a Small Fry. Combo meals are a convenient way to order your fast food meal, and they offer a great value for your dollar. But they also encourage you to take on a lot more calories than you think. Just trading up to the large fries and sugared drinks can add 430 calories, more calories than a Quarter Pounder®! So enjoy your combo meal, just stick with the small sides.

• Think Junior. There has been a proliferation of overstuffed sandwiches and burgers to the point that those sizes are now considered the norm. Burgers such as the Baconator®, the Triple Whopper with Cheese® and the Monster Thickburger® bring in half or more of our daily caloric requirements before we even get to the fries and drinks. Here’s a solution. Order the “junior” sizes of these same sandwiches. They’re plenty large but significantly lower in calories and fat. Next time get the ¼ Pound Little Thickburger – an 800 calorie savings from its big brother.

• Don’t Supersize it, “Zero-size it.” Supersizing beverages has provided restaurants and their customers a classic win-win: the consumer gets a great value at a great price, while the restaurant makes a tidy profit the bigger the size. The hidden cost, of course, is the calories. Two large cups of soft drinks or sweetened drinks can run over 600 calories. Not the bargain consumers thought they were getting. Next time, take advantage of the large size value by “Zero-sizing” your order. Buy a Coca-Cola Zero or Diet Pepsi instead.

• Choose 100-calorie Packs for Snacks. Studies have shown that those who eat only out of these portion controlled packages take in 120 less calories a day compared to those who eat directly out of the larger bags and boxes. And you still get to enjoy a tasty snack with little or no sacrifice.

• Know your lattes. We all like our lattes and a basic tall (12 oz) latte runs a modest 150 calories. Not a problem until we drift over to the blended coffees and teas with added whipped cream in the venti size (24 oz). These can run upwards of 600 calories a cup! Very enjoyable and filling, but roughly 1/3 of your daily calories in just one drink. Better to add a flavor shot to your latte – they’re only 20 calories - and you help out Starbuck’s profits at the same time.

All these approaches follow one simple rule: eat what you enjoy, just don’t eat too much of it. These steps are easy to follow and don’t require any radical changes that usually result in failure. The goal is to naturally wean ourselves off overstuffed portion sizes during our regular routines. You’ll find that you’ll be happier sticking with this game plan rather than sacrificing too much of what you enjoy. Once you’ve mastered this, then we can talk Brussels sprouts.

Hank Cardello is CEO of 27ºNorth and author of “Stuffed: An Insider’s Look at Who’s (Really) Making America Fat.” He serves as Chairman for the annual Global Obesity Business Forum sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.