One of the simplest changes you can make to your diet is to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You may want to try some of these tips:

• Pack hand fruits—like apples, oranges, and bananas—to eat as a healthy alternative to your regular snacks
• Try poached or baked fruits for dessert
• Start dinner with a green salad
• Experiment with different vegetables in a stir-fry
• Make your sandwiches in pita pockets so you can fit in extra lettuce, tomatoes, or other veggies
• When you make pasta dishes, try adding extra vegetables: mushrooms can be delicious in red sauce, and spinach or peas can be easily added to other recipe
• Choose whole-grain products instead of refined foods: whole-wheat bread instead of white, whole-wheat pasta instead of regular, or brown rice instead of white

Learn more about how you can introduce small changes to your diet.

Starting With Small Changes

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To lose weight and keep it off, get food recommendations from your healthcare provider, and try to aim for a balance of foods.

Then, take a good look at what's on your plate. Making half your plate fruits and vegetables provides needed fiber and nutrients, and can help you feel full. 

As well, pay attention to portion size, especially for protein and grains. Many of us are used to eating larger portions than we need. With practice, you can retrain yourself to eat the right portion size. Keep in mind that:

• A serving of meat, fish, or poultry should be about be 3 oz (about the size of your palm)
• A serving of milk, yogurt, or fresh vegetables should be 1 cup (about the size of a tennis ball)
• A serving of cheese is 1 oz (about the size of your thumb)
• One slice of bread, 1/3 cup of rice or cooked pasta, or 3/4 cup of dry cereal is one serving

Learn more about portion control.

Eating Less: Portion Control

Once you understand what a serving size looks like, you'll find it easier to control food portions

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Review what you recorded in your food planner and tracker last week and pick one eating habit to change.

Look for patterns. What times of day do you eat most? Are there foods you could eat less of by choosing a smaller portion or eating them less often? Could you cut back or substitute a healthier option? One simple change can have meaningful health benefits! For example:

• Do you mostly eat snacks after dinner while watching TV? Try limiting your after-dinner snacks. Or, consider switching to low-calorie snacks like carrot sticks or air-popped popcorn
• If you drink a lot of sodas each day, try switching to water or seltzer
• Do you love sugary breakfast cereals? Try eating an unsweetened cereal with raisins or berries on top instead, or mix your sweetened cereal 50/50 with an unsweetened cereal
• If you rely on value meals from drive-throughs, try skipping fries and just eating a sandwich, or choose a smaller portion by ordering a kid's meal
• Do you find yourself ordering pizza several nights a week? Try limiting pizza to one night a week, and order a plain pie rather than "the works"

Remember to talk to your healthcare provider about what you've logged in your food planner and tracker. He or she is in the best position to suggest changes that are right for you.

Medicines only work if you take them! For Qsymia® to work best, it must be taken every day in the morning.

If you're taking Qsymia, set up a reminder to prompt you to take it daily. Here are a few things you could try:

• Set a recurring reminder in your electronic calendar
• Set an alarm on your cell phone
• Put a note or sticker on your medicine cabinet, bathroom mirror, or some other location you see every morning
• Put your prescription bottle in a place where you will see it every morning
• Ask your spouse to remind you to take it

Learn more about sticking to a medication schedule.

Medicine Adherence

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