makes dramatic claims for fast and easy weight loss<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n4. Winning By Losing<\/b><\/h2>\n
Health professionals agree that the most sensible approach to weight loss is a balanced diet \u2014 eating a variety of foods, all in moderation \u2014 combined with exercise. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Heart Association, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Medical Association all recommend this combined approach.<\/p>\n
Your weight is determined by the number of calories you consume and the number of calories your body uses as energy. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. You will lose<\/i> weight by eating less, by being more active or \u2013 preferably \u2013 by doing both.<\/p>\n
For permanent weight loss, you also need to learn sound eating habits. While fad diets may take the weight off, they don’t teach you how to keep it off. Remember, you’re learning a way to live, not just a way to diet. And to keep weight off, you must stay motivated. Successful weight control depends upon YOU<\/b> \u2014 not upon any particular product or program.<\/p>\n5. You Too Can Lose One Pound a Week!<\/b><\/h2>\n
Most health professionals recommend slow weight loss as the safest and most effective approach. A sensible weight-loss program allows you to lose weight gradually — about one-half to one pound per week. Gradual weight loss promotes long-term loss of body fat, not just water weight that can be quickly regained.<\/p>\n
Most people leading moderately active lives need about 15 calories per pound to maintain their weight. For example, a 150-pound person would have to eat foods containing no more than 2,250 calories each day to maintain his or her weight.<\/p>\n
To lose one pound, a person must burn 3,500 calories more than are consumed. For example, reducing calories by 300 per day and increasing daily activity to burn off an additional 200 calories should result in a weight loss of one pound per week.<\/p>\n
6. A Perfect Balance \u00a0 \u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
When limiting calories, you still need to satisfy basic nutritional needs. Eat a variety of foods every day. Choose from each of the five food groups \u2014 milk, meat, fruit, vegetable and bread \u2014 and allow for an occasional treat. Balanced food plans encourage making wise choices about everyday food \u2014 choices you can make to stay at your proper weight for life.<\/p>\n
You should also evaluate your eating patterns. Sometimes six small meals a day can help you control your hunger. If you prefer to stay with eating three main meals, always plan for some low-calorie between-meal snacks to help avoid overeating at your next meal.<\/p>\n
All foods and beverages can be consumed in moderation. Try to cut down on foods high in fat and sugar, or substitute with reduced-calorie and reduced-fat foods and beverages.<\/p>\n
Most successful weight-loss plans call for a reduction in both calories and the amount of fat eaten. The fat in your diet should be limited to 30 percent or less of total calories each day. And calories still count!<\/p>\n
7. Getting Physical \u00a0 \u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
Determine what type of physical activity best suits your lifestyle. You should work your way up to regular aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging or swimming, since it is a key factor in achieving permanent weight loss and improving health. Aerobic exercise works the body’s large muscles, such as the heart, and should be moderately vigorous, but not exhausting, to be most effective. For maximum benefits, most health experts recommend exercising 30 minutes or more on most, preferably all, days of the week.<\/p>\n
Try to incorporate some simple calorie-burners into your everyday routine. Even the most basic activities (such as taking an after-dinner walk, using the stairs at the mall instead of taking an escalator, or parking farther away so you have a longer walk) can get you prepared for more aerobic activities.<\/p>\n
Exercise not only burns calories, it may increase the body’s metabolic rate and actually decreases appetite for some people. Exercise also has psychological benefits. It improves your sense of well-being and decreases stress (which often leads to overeating).<\/p>\n
8. Lose It <\/b>\u2014 And Never Find It Again \u00a0 \u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
Controlling weight means having to learn two sets of behavior: weight loss and weight maintenance. According to many health professionals, weight maintenance is the more difficult. Less than a third of the people who lose weight are able to keep it off. Long-term success depends upon continuing the good eating and exercise habits you developed while losing weight.<\/p>\n
It will take time to make these new habits a permanent part of your life. Continue to modify your behavior by:<\/p>\n
\n- accepting the fact that you will still be tempted by “fattening” foods<\/li>\n
- realizing you can eat tempting foods in moderation, so you won’t feel deprived<\/li>\n
- increasing low-calorie and low-fat choices<\/li>\n
- trying new forms of exercise (by making exercise fun, you will likely stick to it.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Know your eating habits. Do you overindulge when eating your “favorite” foods? Do you eat when you’re depressed or worried? Do you use food as a reward? Keeping track of your eating habits in a food diary may help you cut down on how much you eat.<\/p>\n
Don’t let a temporary setback get you down. Go right back to your winning ways!<\/p>\n
Stay motivated \u2014 focus on your goals. Seek help if you cannot do it alone. Join a weight-loss organization or a health club. Your local hospital may even offer a weight loss clinic. Also ask friends and family for support.<\/p>\n
9. Controlling Weight Made Easier \u00a0 \u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
Eating can still be fun! With the variety of low-calorie and “light” foods and beverages available today, watching your weight no longer means eating carrot sticks and rice cakes. More and more good-tasting, reduced-calorie dinner entrees, desserts, diet soft drinks and other foods are now available. Also, the development and use of a wide variety of low-calorie ingredients known as fat replacers are making many new reduced-fat and light foods and beverages possible.<\/p>\n
Low-calorie sweeteners, as part of an overall weight-control program, can help you reduce calories and therefore reduce weight. Recent studies show this to be true. Also, low-calorie foods and beverages can help make managing weight easier. They can:<\/p>\n
\n- satisfy the natural desire for sweet taste without extra calories;<\/li>\n
- provide more choices when juggling calories. Weight can be maintained by saving calories, which you may or may not “spend” later in the same meal or the same day. As long as the calories are not overspent, you will maintain your weight;<\/li>\n
- help you stay on your weight-control program by keeping your diet interesting and enjoyable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Low-calorie and reduced-fat foods and beverages can easily be made part of a lifelong, sensible weight-control program. Recent surveys indicate that many people are consuming these products as part of an overall healthy lifestyle.<\/p>\n
10. You Can Do It!<\/b><\/h2>\n
Many people find it hard to accept the facts about weight control. Miracle diets and quick cures are not the answer; permanent lifestyle changes are. The best way to control weight is to consume fewer calories and exercise more.<\/p>\n
You can’t just change your habits for a week or two and go back to the way you were. You can<\/i>successfully manage your weight, but it means a lifetime commitment and permanent changes in eating behavior. Weight takes time to gain, and it takes time to lose. But, once the weight is gone, it’s well worth it. Now that you know how to “Win by Losing,” get out there and beat the odds!<\/p>\n