Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

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• To stay motivated to exercise daily, find activities you truly enjoy. If your workouts are a dread, you will not stick with them (and if you do, you'll be miserable).
• Schedule your workout in your day the same way you would a dentist appointment or conference call. If you are running behind, shorten your workout but do not skip it.
• Many people find that doing structured activities during the week (like going to the gym before work, jogging during the lunch hour, or lifting weights in the evening, for example), while being flexible over the weekend (like going for a hike or bike ride, for example), work well.
• Find a friend, family member, or co-worker with similar goals so you can be workout buddies, motivating each other and exercising together.

• Think high volume, low calories. The vegan diet is ideal for this approach. If we fill up on foods high in water and fiber content, we get that full feeling without a lot of calories. An easy approach is to include at least one large salad and at least one large bowl of broth-based vegetable-bean soup per day. Both are high in bulk but low in calories.
• Be mindful of portion sizes. Take less food than you think you want, and take seconds only if you are truly still hungry. Eat mindfully, not in front of the TV or computer. Chew thoroughly and enjoy the texture and flavor of every bite.
• Don't skip the nuts and seeds. While these are high-fat foods, they are nutrient-dense and, eaten in moderation, may actually promote weight loss, according to some studies. Have a handful or two a day in total.
• Choose intact whole grains most of the time. Whole grain pastas and breads are better than white, but not as good as intact grains such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, and barley. It's easy to go overboard on any pasta (and its accompanying sauce) and bread (and its accompanying spread), so limit these foods to one or two servings a day. Intact grains are better for us and can be served as a pilaf mixed with vegetables, as a cereal with cinnamon and nuts, or as a cold salad tossed with veggies and a bit of olive oil and lemon juice. Make a big batch in a slow cooker, keep refrigerated, and use it all week in different recipes. Alternate or mix grains to suit your preference.
• Have healthy snacks and meals ready and available. Whether it's cubed fruit, leftover bean salad, celery spread with almond butter, a frozen vegan burrito, or whatever, have it front and center. When we get hungry, it's all too tempting to grab the first thing we see or the thing that takes the least time to prepare.
• Write down what and how much you eat, and ask yourself if you're an emotional eater (a person whose appetite is triggered by emotions such as stress, happiness, loneliness, or other emotions, as opposed to hunger). See if you notice any unhealthy trends, and address them accordingly.
• Include complex carbs, protein, and a bit of fat in every meal and snack, if possible. This helps keep your metabolism up and your hunger spikes down.
• Avoid refined carbs like sweets and processed grain products as much as you can. These foods are high in calories and don't fill us up. Plus they've been stripped of all their beneficial nutrients.