10 Simple Lifestyle Changes for Weight Management
The vast majority of weight management programs out there are quick fixes, which may help you shed pounds quickly, but are harder to maintain long-term. Let’s change the paradigm to a new one of baby steps, no pressure, good health and REALITY.
Here are 10 ways to help you manage weight, without too much blood, sweat and tears:
1. Drink more water
When you are dehydrated, your body cannot function as efficiently. You may even feel like snacking more often, as thirst can often mask itself as feelings of hunger. Drinking plenty of water has numerous healthful benefits, some of which can directly affect your weight: more energy, increased metabolism, and better appetite control.*
2. Get enough sleep
Scientific research suggests a strong link between sleep and weight management. Lack of sleep can negatively affect some of the hormone concentrations that have a direct influence on your appetite and hunger levels, causing you to gain weight.
3. Walk more
Whether you take on walking or jogging as part of your exercise routine, or you choose to add more walking into your normal daily activities, you will be facilitating your weight management efforts. If you are unable to commit a full half hour to exercise, find easy ways to walk more each day. Like parking further away for the places you are visiting.
4. Eat your fruits and vegetables first
Before you load your plate with steak and mashed potatoes, have a dinner salad or a piece of fruit. The high fiber content of fruits and vegetables can not only improve your digestive health, but they can also give you a feeling of satiety, which will lessen your appetite when it is time to pile the food on your plate.
5. Shrink your portion sizes
What would happen if you didn’t cut anything out of your diet, but cut back on the portion sizes? It might prevent the feeling of being deprived, which derails many people from their diet plan. Cut down on the calories you consume in a meal, promising yourself that you can have a healthy snack later, if you are still hungry.
6. Eat slowly
Taking the time to have a leisurely meal can help your weight control efforts. Chew your food and savor all of the delicious flavors. Take time to enjoy the company you are with. The message from your stomach to your brain, saying that you’re full, can take up to 20 minutes, and eating slowly can prevent overeating in the meantime.
7. Don't forget to snack
To get your metabolism revving, you need to feed your body fuel regularly. It is important to have a healthy snack between meals, so that you are consuming food about every 2-3 hours. This will also prevent any feeling of hunger that may tempt you to overeat. Remember, healthy is the key word here. A healthy snack is approximately 150-200 calories and contains foods that contribute to your overall health, such as fruit, vegetables, yogurt, nuts or seeds.
8. Make a habit of reading nutrition facts labels
You may find yourself flabbergasted when you look at the Nutrition Facts labels of some of your favorite foods. Be sure to look at the serving size, and calories, fat and sodium per serving. You may find that some of the foods in your diet are not worth consuming.
9. Find healthier alternatives
Many times, you can replace your high fat foods with a lower fat or sugar alternative without giving up the taste that you enjoy so much. Many ice creams, cookies, candies and snack foods come in a much healthier form, and are available at your local supermarket. Again, get in the habit of looking at the Nutrition Facts labels and choose the healthiest alternative.
10. Keep a food diary
Write down everything you eat for a couple weeks as you start your weight management program. Make sure to include accurate measurements on portion sizes. This will give you insight into valuable information like, the ability to analyze how many calories you are truly consuming, along with any patterns that you were unaware of, like eating out of boredom or stress.
Once you reach your weight goal, keeping these reinforcements in place is important in maintaining your new body weight. A successful weight loss plan requires baby steps that don’t grossly interfere with your hectic life. Take a few of these ideas and implement them into your life and see how it goes. Once they become habit to you, pick a few more to implement.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.