Strategies for Maintaining a Healthy Weight
It’s easy to gain weight in our “toxic food environment”. How, then, can you lose weight if you need to? Here are some suggestions that work:
Set a realistic goal. Many people pick weight goals they’ll have a hard time achieving, like fitting into a size four dress or a wedding tuxedo from 20 years ago. A better initial goal is 5-10% of your current weight. This may not put you in bodybuilding competitions, but it can lead to important improvements in weight-related conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. You can keep aiming for another 5-10% until you’re happy. By breaking weight loss into more manageable chunks, you’ll be more likely to reach your goal.
Slow and steady wins the race. Dieting implies deprivation and hunger. You don’t need either if you’re willing to take the time to do it right. If you cut out just 100 calories a day, you would weigh 10 pounds less after a year. If, at the same time, you added a brisk 30-minute walk 5 days a week, you could be at least 20 pounds lighter.
Exercise more. The amount of energy the body uses to breathe, pump blood, keep muscles ready for action and other but vital tasks is called resting metabolism. It accounts for two-thirds of your daily energy expenditure. The more you work your muscles – especially with strength training exercises – the more blood sugar they sponge from the blood and the more calories they burn even when you aren’t active. If you don’t exercise, try a walking program. Start out with something simple like getting off your bus a stop early and walking the rest of the way, park your car at the far end of the parking lot, or take a brisk walk at lunch or when you come home. Gradually increase the amount of time you walk each day until you do 30 or more minutes a day. If you already exercise, try to increase its intensity or duration.
Keep track. It’s easy to eat more than you plan to. A daily food diary can make you more aware of exactly how much you are eating. Include everything, no matter how small or insignificant it seems. Small binges and drinks of juice add up to real calories.
Tame your blood sugar. Eating foods that make your blood sugar and insulin levels shoot up and then crash may contribute to weight gain. Such foods include white bread, white rice and other highly processed grain products. As an alternative, choose foods that have a gentler effect on blood sugar (a lower glycemic index). These include whole grains such as wheat berries, steel-cut oats, and whole-grain breads and pasta, as well as beans, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
Don’t be afraid of good fats. Fat in a meal or in snacks, such as nuts, helps you feel full. Good fats such as olive or canola oil can also help improve your cholesterol levels when you eat them in place of saturated or trans fats or highly processed carbohydrates. The “good” fats, such as omega 3s and 9s, contain EPA and DHA or essential fats. These are necessary for brain function.
Bring on the water. When you’re thirsty, reach for water. Drinking juice or sugared pop can give you several hundred calories a day without even realizing it.
The longest journey starts with a single step. The more you learn and the more support you can get, the more likely you’ll be to reach your target.
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