How To Eat Like a Nutritionist

Happier Meals

Alan Aragon, M.S., shares 4 ways to shrink your belly (and keep it shrunk) 

• Look forward to every meal

  It's the only way to stick with a diet over time. Find whole foods–meats, poultry, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts–that you love, as well as minimally processed foods, such as whole grains, cheese, and milk.

  • Be accountable

    Every day for a month, grade your eating habits on a scale of 1 to 10. Record your scores for every meal and snack or just jot down one average number for the whole day. The danger zones in your diet will become obvious. 

    Go on, indulge!

    Reward yourself with 10 percent cheat calories every day. If you're on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, that could be a 200-calorie snack daily or a 2,000-calorie meal once a week. By indulging, you can moderate your cravings and avoid bingeing.