Weight management can be an elusive concept that is easier said than done – to diet or not to diet, which diet, which workout is most effective – the list goes on and on. The internet is an amazing thing but, with so much instantaneous information at our fingertips, it can also be very confusing. Check out this three-step approach to reaching and staying at a healthy weight that can help narrow down your strategy.
- Improve your eating habits – While going cold turkey on your favorite unhealthy foods seems like the quickest approach to a healthier diet, it is often an unsuccessful one. Instead, try changing one eating habit at a time to create behavioral patterns that can be maintained long term. Healthy eating combined with exercise is more likely than dieting to help manage your weight. Controlling your portions and using moderation in your food choices are two ways to improve your eating habits without following a strict diet that will leave you feeling deprived and hungry.
- Get active – Make physical activity a regular part of your routine by engaging in moderate exercise for at least 2-1/2 hours per week. Integrate easy activities into your day such as walking or biking to the store, walking with a friend or your dog, reading while on a stationary bike, taking the stairs, or housework such as mowing the lawn, raking leaves or shoveling snow.
- Change your thinking – Our minds can be our worst enemy in weight management. Changing the way you view your body and weight loss strategy can prevent you from getting stuck. Here are some suggestions:
- Don’t compare yourself to others. Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes.
- Pay attention to how hungry or full you feel. When you eat, be aware of why you’re eating and how much you’re eating.
- Don’t focus on dieting. Dieting almost never works over the long term.
- Focus on improving your health instead of dieting.