Many individuals who are interested in beginning a new weight loss or weight management plan should consider using the free dieting resources offered by public agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A wide variety of simple planning tools and nutrition education information will help individuals research and construct a healthy diet strategy.
Food Guide Pyramid
The USDA offer free resources regarding the Food Guide Pyramid on its website. Dieters can use these resources to learn about planning a well-balanced diet that is rich in fiber, complex carbohydrates and nutritious food choices. The guide also offers information about how to avoid or limit unhealthy fats and high-calorie foods.
Nutrition Labels and Serving Sizes
The USDA also offers a variety of helpful resources about reading nutrition labels on packaged foods. People can learn to interpret the caloric content, fat content and nutritional values of foods by reading these labels. Serving sizes are also critical to a successful diet, and the NIH offer a variety of free tables and charts to interpret serving sizes for specific food items. Many of these charts can be found on the USDA's website as well.
Meal Planning and Shopping
According to Helpguide.org, it can be useful to plan meals in advance and to do shopping after having a full meal. Both strategies will help control the impulse to purchase or eat unhealthy food items. In addition, the USDA website offers a variety of charting tools and written guides that help dieters develop simple and nutritious meal plans.
Fitness and Exercise
Regular exercise and activity is critical to weight loss and weight management. Helpguide.org notes that you should track your daily exercise and aim to complete a minimum of 30 minutes of activity per day, increasing the length and intensity over time. It's important to do activities that will increase your heart rate, such as jogging, swimming or running, as this helps burn calories. The USDA also has free resources for dieters to assess and plan exercise schedules.
Expert Insight
Many dieters must learn to change unhealthy behaviors gradually and replace them with healthy, constructive eating and exercise habits. This can include removing unhealthy foods from the home and spacing meals and snacks at regular times throughout the day. Unhealthy habits, such as binging on fast food or junk food or skipping meals, must be slowly exchanged for habits that support long-term weight management.
Member Comments