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Small Changes Can Help Dieters Meet Weight Loss Goals in New Year

Posted on: Monday, 11 December 2006, 09:01 CST

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- As the nation's waistline continues to grow, weight loss and healthy eating consistently remain among the top New Year's resolutions. However, many dieters get easily discouraged when they start a weight-loss plan. They are often unsure of what and how much to eat and think they must completely overhaul their diets, when in fact small changes can deliver big results.

For anyone who has tried to shed pounds, it may come as no surprise that almost nine out of ten U.S. adults (89%) who have ever tried to lose weight or eat healthier find it challenging, according to a recent survey commissioned by Wish-Bone(R) Salad Dressings and conducted by Harris Interactive(R). Many of those who struggle with losing weight or eating healthier say they have difficulty with exercising regularly (57%), staying motivated (55%), eating healthy when dining out (46%), limiting snacks (44%), controlling portion size (43%), and counting calories (33%).

The survey also found that most adults don't know how many calories they consume in a day (64%), and a majority (62%) wish it were easier to control portion sizes. More than half (57%) of adults said they don't know exactly what amount of food makes up a single serving for most of the foods they eat.

To keep people from giving up on their goals before they even start, Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D, C.D.N. and Founder and President of KKG Body Fuel, Inc., suggests identifying a few small dietary changes to make gradually rather than all at once.

"When people hear the word 'diet' they often think they are going to have to deprive themselves of the foods they enjoy, and that's one of the main reasons people either fail to begin a weight loss plan or give up too soon," says Glassman. "Sometimes picking one or two small changes to make in your diet is much less daunting and can lead to big results over time."

For example, Glassman suggests replacing one meal a day with a veggie- loaded salad and a small portion of lean protein. The good news -- among adults who have tried to lose weight or eat healthier, nearly three-fourths (73%) said they are likely to consume more salad to do so. However, nearly half of all adults surveyed (47%) say they often pour too much dressing on their salad, which can easily add hundreds of extra calories to an otherwise healthy dish.

Wish-Bone(R) Salad Spritzers(TM) Vinaigrette Dressings are packaged in easy-to-use spray bottles and can be an effective tool to help people control the amount of dressing they put on their salads. With just one calorie per spray, Wish-Bone(R) Salad Spritzers(TM) Vinaigrette Dressings put a new twist on portion control, allowing ultimate control when dressing a salad.

In addition to eating more salads, Glassman offers these small changes that can jump start any weight loss plan:

1. Drink more water! Start by drinking a large glass of water with lemon each morning and drink a glass before each meal to feel slightly full. Gradually replace sugary or carbonated beverages with water throughout the day. 2. Choose healthy snacks between meals to keep yourself from getting too hungry before a meal, such as fruit, a handful of nuts or a low-fat yogurt. 3. Eat whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Whole fruit has fewer calories from sugar and more fiber. 4. Take three fewer bites at each meal so you leave a little food on your plate. 5. Try a high fiber cereal with fruit and skim milk in the morning instead of bagels or muffins. 6. If you eat out a lot, start with a broth based soup or mixed green salad, both of which will contribute to fullness, and follow with an appetizer rather than a full-size entree. 7. Toss your salad with your favorite low-fat, low-calorie dressing. 8. Be sure to get your calcium in foods like yogurt or milk but from lower calorie sources by switching from high calorie, full-fat products to low-fat and non-fat products. 9. Munch on fresh vegetables with low calorie condiments to make them taste great and satisfy the need to crunch! 10. Incorporate some exercise daily even if it is just walking to work or taking the stairs.

Wish-Bone(R) also offers a wide variety of light and fat-free dressings. With just 50-80 calories and five or fewer grams of fat per serving, there is a light dressing to please every health-conscious salad lover, from Creamy Caesar to Light Balsamic and Basil Vinaigrette. Wish-Bone(R) fat-free dressings contain just 20-35 calories per serving.

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Wish-Bone between November 9 and November 13, 2006 among 2,934 adults 18 years of age or older. Figures for region, age within gender, education, household income and race/ethnicity were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

With a pure probability sample of 2,934, one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points. The sampling error for the sub-samples of those who have ever tried to lose weight or eat healthier (n= 2,767) and those who find trying to lose weight or eat healthier challenging (n= 2,524) may be higher and varies. However that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

Unilever [NYSE: UL, UN], one of the world's largest consumer products companies, aims to add vitality to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Each day, around the world, consumers make 150 million decisions to purchase Unilever products. The company has a portfolio of brands that make people feel good, look good and get more out of life.

In the United States these brands include recognized names such as: Axe, "all," Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Lipton, Knorr, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever in the United States employs more than 15,000 people in 74 office and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico - generating approximately $10 billion in sales in 2004. For more information visit http://www.unileverusa.com/.

CONTACT: Loren Fisher M Booth & Associates (212) 481-7000, ext. 3256 lorenf@mbooth.com

Unilever

CONTACT: Loren Fisher, M Booth & Associates, +1-212-481-7000, ext. 3256,lorenf@mbooth.com, for Unilever

Web site: http://www.unileverusa.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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