To maintain your health, it's important to maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity is a risk factor for developing medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and high cholesterol. Eating a nutritious diet can not only help you maintain the proper body weight, but it will help you feel energetic and lower your risk of serious disease. There are a number of ways to lose weight in a healthy fashion.
Eat a Balanced Diet
Eating a balanced diet is the first step in achieving a healthy weight. A balanced diet focuses on eating a variety of foods from all the food groups. It shifts the focus away from foods that may taste good but provide empty calories and little nutrition to foods rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. You should include low-fat dairy products, such as skim milk and low-fat cheeses and yogurt. Choose lean protein sources from poultry, fish and vegetable sources, including nuts, beans and tofu. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, which provide important vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet. Get the rest of your carbohydrates from whole grains and cereals, and use healthy oils, like olive and canola, instead of butter.
Count Your Calories
In order to lose weight, you must be mindful of the amount of calories you are ingesting. MyPyramid.gov publishes a list of recommended calorie intakes that is factored by your age, gender and level of physical activity. For example, if you are a woman between the ages of 31 to 50, depending on your activity level, you will need to consume 1,800 to 2,200 calories each day to maintain your weight. Reduce those calories by 500 a day to lose 1 lb. per week, a healthy rate of weight loss. Track your calories in a journal and add them up. Product labels will provide calorie information, but you need to make note of serving sizes.
Serve Smaller Portions
You not only have to watch what you eat, you also need to be careful of how much of it you eat. Even when you are eating healthy foods, you can sabotage your efforts by eating too much. HelpGuide.org suggests using smaller plates or putting less food on a larger plate. Don't rush things when you eat, take it slow and savor each bite. Push yourself away from the table when you are full so you aren't tempted to keep eating just because the food is there.
Increase Your Physical Activity
One of tenets of losing weight is that you must eat less and move more. Increasing your physical activity helps burn up more calories each day. The more you move, the more it stimulates your metabolism to run at a higher speed. Do something you enjoy: Ride your bike, take a walk, go for a swim or work out at the gym. It only takes 30 minutes of exercising most days to make an impact; opt for three 10-minute exercise periods if pressed for time.
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