You've gone through a series of unsuccessful diets, and you're determined to stick to this one. But sometimes it's hard to find the willpower when the going gets rough. Use some tips to increase the chances of having healthy and successful dietary habits for the rest of your life.
Eat Breakfast
Eating a healthy breakfast every day boosts your energy expenditure early in the day, revs up your metabolism, makes you less likely to overeat by lunchtime and makes you more likely to make healthy food choices for the rest of the day, according to the Mayo Clinic. Seventy-eight percent of the participants of the National Weight Control Registry--which tracks more than 5,000 people who have lost lots of weight and kept it off for at least five years--eat breakfast every morning. A healthy breakfast, which will give you a steady stream of energy and keep you full, should include a fiber-rich food, such as slow-cook oatmeal or whole wheat toast, and a source of protein, such as an egg or peanut butter.
Keep a Daily Journal
About 75 percent of participants of the National Weight Control Registry report weighing themselves weekly, and many of them report regularly recording weight and calorie intake. By setting goals on paper and following up with your daily progress, you will be more accountable to yourself. You will also be more likely to accurately estimate how much you eat and how much exercise you have actually gotten.
Steer Clear of Sugary Drinks
The Harvard School of Public Health examined 30 separate publications that pertained to sugary drinks and obesity, and reported its findings in an August 2006 volume of "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Some prevailing themes were that heavy people are more likely to consume sugary drinks, increased intake of sugary drinks makes a person likely to gain more weight over time, and increased intake of sugary drinks makes a person more likely to become obese. The occasional small glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice is healthy, but there is no need to drink soda because it contains no nutritionally significant ingredients. In a way, drinking soda is like gulping down candy--it is a quick way to pack on calories. If you're trying to be successful with a healthy diet, skip the soda aisle and stick to water and low-fat milk.
Be Active All Day
Diet isn't everything when it comes to being physically fit. Even if you're not an avid hiker, be as active as is possible within your means. Just by skipping some hours in front of the television, you are more likely to be up and doing something physical. Of the participants of the National Weight Control Registry, 62 percent report watching less than 10 hours of television every week and 90 percent report exercising about one hour every day. Although most health authorities recommend getting between 30 and 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every day, exercise doesn't need to be lumped in all at once. To start, try taking a 10-minute walk three times per day. If you plan to watch more than 10 hours of television in a week, get some exercise in front of the tube. Jog in place, do stair steppers on a stool or do jumping jacks during commercials to incorporate some easy physical activity into your day.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Why Does Eating Breakfast Help Control Weight?
- The National Weight Control Registry
- The National Weight Control Registry: Factors
- The Diet Channel: 8 Tips For Losing Weight and Keeping It Off
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Intake of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Weight Gain: A Systematic Review
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