If you're looking for a makeover for your diet and fitness program, customize your new plan so that you'll stick with it for life. Enthusiasm and expectations can dim when restrictive menus or exercise injuries throw you off track. Avoid one-size-fits-all plans.
For long-term success, the American Heart Association counsels you to avoid extremes and to ease into any health regimen. Choosing a good diet plan with food variety and adjustable calorie limits will raise your chances of maintaining a healthy weight. Pursuing a reasonable and enjoyable fitness program will lead to better long-term cardiovascular and musculoskeletal condition.
Satisfy Nutritional Needs
Familiarize yourself with the recommended boundaries of good nutrition. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests eating a good diet based on lowfat sources of protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. To achieve and stay at a healthy weight, reduce fat, salt, sugar and cholesterol naturally by emphasizing fruits, veggies and whole grains.
Set Personal Eating Boundaries
If you have weight goals, the AHA advises writing them down to make them "official." Alternatively, you can make fulfilling your nutritional needs on most days a priority. Either way, draw your calorie and nutrient boundaries wherever you eat--at home, work and restaurants. Anticipate temptation and decide ahead of time how you'll deal with it.
Create a Personal Fitness Program
You must combine a good diet with an ongoing exercise program in order to reach a healthy weight. The National Institutes of Health encourage you to plan around your schedule and your personality. Choose an aerobic activity that you can safely perform for 30 minutes on most days, or in 10-minute increments. If you're outdoorsy, choose jogging or cycling. If you're social, take an aerobics class. Add weight lifting or resistance band exercises three times a week for overall conditioning.
Allow Yourself Some Diet Leeway
According to the AHA, allowing yourself to make occasional food trade-offs will help you persist in following a good diet. If you want a piece of cake, for instance, limit sweetened beverages for a while. By permitting some of your favorite foods, your diet will gain longevity.
Burn Extra Calories Often
You can make exercise trade-offs, too, that will help you stay at a healthy weight. AARP lists common domestic activities that burn 150 calories, a deficit that you can apply toward weight loss or toward enjoying a rich dessert. Add shoveling snow for 15 minutes or raking leaves for 30 minutes to your fitness program, or spend an hour washing and waxing your car.
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