Expert Diet Tricks

Tips and Tricks of the Trade

Ever wonder how diet and fitness gurus stick with their eating and exercise plans? To find out, we quizzed five busy pros. What we found was that these experts truly are "expert" at maximizing nutrient intake while managing their daily fat and calorie budgets. (They're also sticklers for daily exercise.) Here, their most successful strategies for keeping fit, no matter how crazy their lives get:

"I count colors, not calories."

The Expert: Claudia Gonzalez, R.D., 37
Height: 5'5" Weight: 135

When she isn't dispensing healthy-eating advice all over the country as an American Dietetic Association spokesperson, this Miami-based mother of three counsels patients on managing diabetes, reducing cholesterol and losing weight. Gonzalez is also a specialist in preventing and treating childhood obesity.

Her Workout: 45 minutes of walking or biking; 15 to 20 minutes of weight training daily.

Trade Secrets: Eat by color. "I try to include at least three different hues in every meal-leafy greens, red tomatoes, yellow peppers, whatever's freshest at the market on a particular day. That way, I know I'm giving my body a wide variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals, including trace nutrients like phytochemicals and other antioxidants."

Substitute fish for red meat and chicken twice a week. "Fish is lower in saturated fat than poultry, beef or pork, and studies have shown that the type of fat found in fish-polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids-can help protect you from heart disease."

Snack on fruit. "I'm not a big snacker, but if I'm too busy to sit down for a proper meal, I'll have one or two servings of fruit. A slice of melon or a fruit shake keeps cravings at bay."

Adjust your workout according to your needs. "I used to Rollerblade a lot, but as I get older, I prefer the extra stability that a bicycle provides. I keep weights at home so that when I'm running late at the office, I can skip a visit to the gym and still get in a good strength-training routine."