When it comes to managing or maintaining your weight and living a healthy lifestyle, there are no real secrets or short cuts. New miracle superfoods appear every year, as do supposedly revolutionary new workout routines. It can be tempting to follow every new development in search of the fastest and easiest methods, but a combination of diet and exercise is the only guarantee of success.
Weight Management
According to the Weight-control Information Network, there is a simple way to manage your weight. If you wish to lose weight, you need to burn more calories through exercise and daily activity than you consume through food and drink. If you balance the two figures, you will be able to keep your weight constant. If you are looking to lose weight or keep your weight stable, you need to control your diet and the amount of exercise you do.
Diet
According to a study performed by Louisiana State University, the most significant factor in addressing your calorie balance is your diet. The easiest way to alter your diet is to adjust what you eat, as well as the amount you eat. The American Dietetic Association recommends that you eat smaller portions, using smaller dishes if necessary to give the illusion that your meals are larger. You should eat an amount of lean protein roughly the size of your fist, as well as an equal amount of vegetables with each meal. You should seek to eat several small meals throughout the day, rather than just two or three large ones, which encourage overeating and snacking as you get hungry between meals.
Food
What you eat is as important as how much you eat. Some types of food are calorically dense, but nutritious. Others are high in calories, yet lack any nutritional value, such as vitamins or minerals needed for healthy living. The Harvard School of Public Health has guidelines on what to eat. Focus on a balance of lean protein, such as fish or meat, as well as a mixture of fresh fruit and vegetables. Try to cut out processed food, which tends to be high in calories, salt and saturated fats. Also avoid simple, refined carbohydrates such as sugar, candy, cake, white bread and white pasta. Stick to water rather than fruit juice or soda.
Exercise
Although diet has more of an effect on your overall calorie balance, exercise also can help you keep your weight in check. The Weight-control Information Network advises that the average adult needs around 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, or 75 minutes of intense exercise to maintain your weight, although it acknowledges that if you are losing weight or have just lost weight, you might need to do twice as much as that. Moderate exercise includes walking or gardening, while intense exercise includes jogging, swimming, cycling or playing sports.
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