Tammy and Lyssie Lakatos' Top 10 Nutrition Tips for Brides to Be

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Nutritionists, and twin sisters, Tammy and Lyssie Lakatos have quite a bit of experience in helping folks get on track with a healthy diet. And now they are here to help brides-to-be learn how to lose weight safely and effectively. Here are their top 10 nutrition tips:

10. The Relationship Mistake: When women get involved in a relationship, what do they do? They enjoy romantic dinners, picnics in the park and long lazy breakfasts. In other words, they eat more. Men, darn them, can get away with it because they generally have more muscle mass than women and therefore burn more calories. Women, however, have to demonstrate self-restraint — always hard when the love of your life has come along.
Tammy and Lyssie say: If you want to lose weight, don't indulge in the same portion size as your significant other.

9. It's the Little Things That Count: Still in love with that $10 cactus he gave you on your first date? Little things mean a lot in life and small dietary changes reap big results that can last a lifetime.
Tammy and Lyssie say: Get in the habit of using nonfat dairy cream instead of half-and-half in your coffee.

8. Slowly Does It: How many women do you know who, when they decide to lose weight, launch into a diet of starvation proportions — all in the first week? Chances are, they won't stay on the diet for long.
Tammy and Lyssie say: Take it slow. A safe and healthy weight loss is no more than one to two pounds per week.

7. Dressing Down Your Salad: Lettuce looks healthy, but be careful when eating from salad bars. Salad dressings, including vinaigrettes, can add 500 extra calories to your vegetable salad.
Tammy and Lyssie say: Stay away from pre-made salads such as tuna and macaroni salad; the mayonnaise cranks up the fat content.

6. Snack Attack: Ever go to the grocery store and buy armfuls of vegetables, only to get home hungry and polish off that last piece of carrot cake? Yes, you can make a case that you're creating more room in your refrigerator, but ...
Tammy and Lyssie say: When you get home from grocery shopping, wash and cut your vegetables right away and store them in plastic containers on the top shelf of your refrigerator. This will make vegetables your No. 1 snack choice. And don't go to the store hungry.

5. Hold the Oil and Butter Please: You could say that scrambled eggs taste best when they're cooked in butter. You could say pasta and olive oil are a marriage made in heaven.
Tammy and Lyssie say: You can save as many as 120 calories per tablespoon by avoiding those pesky fats. Use a cooking spray such as Pam instead. Your hips will thank you, and your heart will benefit from less butter in your diet.

4. Trick or Treat?: Ever feel like treating yourself to your favorite ice cream because the witches and goblins of life are getting you down? Well, maybe you can.
Tammy and Lyssie say: Denying yourself your favorite treats can cause cravings and set you up for binging. Instead, allow yourself to have small portions of your favorite foods occasionally.

3. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning: A jelly donut does not a good morning make. The sugar high wears off quickly, leaving you in an energy slump — and feeling guilty about those extra calories.
Tammy and Lyssie say: Start the morning right by eating a healthy breakfast packed full of high-fiber foods and protein, such as low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese or an egg.

2. Snack Attack, Part Two: Most vending machines should have a cautionary sign: "Enter here for high fats and empty calories." Chips and candy may provide quick energy for those 4 p.m. blahs, but they'll do you no favors.
Tammy and Lyssie say: Choose fruits and vegetables, low-fat yogurt, string cheese and whole grain, low-fat crackers instead. They provide better nutrition and keep your blood sugar on an even keel. Take a supply to work so you always have some on hand.

1. And the No. 1 way that Tammy and Lyssie can help you lose weight and stay healthy: If you know exactly which, and how many, flavors of ice cream you have in your freezer, or you've kept multiple bags of last year's Halloween candy just in case the neighbor's kids want a treat, you are your diet's worst enemy.
Tammy and Lyssie say: Toss out or give away all the unhealthy, high-calorie junk foods in your pantry so there's no temptation in sight.