25 Healthy Ways to Lose Weight (and keep it off)
Here are 25 simple and healthy actions that anyone can do to begin to lose weight--or to stay at a healthy weight. Try picking one or two things and commit to doing them for a week. Then next week, try to add one more. Before you know it, you'll look and feel better!
1. Find a healthy weight range for your body type.
2. Set small, realistic goals. Focus on losing a small amount of weight first. Reward yourself with a movie or a ballgame.
3. Add physical activity into your daily life. Walk on your lunch break. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Dance, garden, or even play basketball with the kids.
4. Remember that every bit of exercise counts. Experts say that 30-60 minutes of physical activity a day is best for losing weight and keeping it off. But you don't have to do it all at once. Add up 10 minutes here and there to meet your 30-minute goal.
5. Add weight training as part of your exercise routine. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn--even after you stop exercising.
6. Eat regular meals. Eat three small meals and two healthy snacks each day. Don't skip breakfast!
7. Eat more vegetables. Five servings a day of vegetables (without butter or sauces) and four servings of fruit will help fill you up and lower your risk of heart disease.
8. Cut back on refined (white) flour. Eat breads, cereals, and pasta made from whole grains instead. It will fill you up faster and give you more fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
9. Choose low-fat and low-calorie foods. Read labels to make sure you are making good choices. Try low or nonfat milk, cheese and salad dressings.
10. Bake, broil or grill food. To add flavor, use spices like lemon pepper or garlic, rather than butter or oil.
11. Plan ahead. Bring fruit, carrot sticks or turkey jerky for away-from-home snacks. Don't leave yourself stranded with only high-fat, sugary foods to choose from.
12. Eat when you are hungry. Starving yourself usually backfires and may lead to overeating later on.
13. Eat slowly and stop when you are full. It takes 20 minutes before your body feels full.
14. Eat smaller portions. Look at recommended "serving sizes" on packages. At restaurants, try splitting a meal with a friend, or ordering a la carte, or taking half the meal home for lunch the next day.
15. Avoid fad diets. Diets that allow only one food or cause very quick weight loss usually don't work in the long run. Losing one to two pounds a week is healthier and you will be more likely to keep the weight off.
16. Drink five to eight glasses of water every day. Not getting enough water can make you feel sluggish and tired--making it harder to exercise and stick with healthy eating.
17. Cut back on sodas and other high-sugar foods. This is an easy way to cut calories.
18. Avoid or cut back on alcohol. There are a lot of calories in beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks.
19. Weigh yourself only once a week. Don't let the numbers on the scale control your emotions each day.
20. Distract yourself from cravings. Eat a strong breath mint. Take a walk. If the craving continues for more than 20 minutes, eat a small serving. Completely denying yourself certain foods may make cravings worse.
21. Get support. Exercise with friends, ask your family to eat healthy foods with you, or join a support group.
22. Don't give up if you have a setback.
23. Be realistic. Remember that the key to maintaining a healthy weight is eating in a healthy manner for life. Don't expect to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.
24. Avoid eating as a way to cope with stress. When you are stressed, try taking a walk or talking over problems with a friend.
25. Congratulate yourself for getting healthier. Losing even a little weight may help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Written by Janet Gellman.
2004 Journeyworks Publishing.
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