Managing Your Weight for a Lifetime
You can’t - or shouldn’t be on a diet all the time. Instead, adopt healthy practices that will help you to manage your weight.
1. Eat foods high in dietary fibre. As compared to a meal containing little fibre, a high fibre meal takes longer to digest, causes blood sugar levels to rise more slowly, and keeps hunger away longer.
2. Choose low glycaemic meals - that is, foods that are absorbed more slowly, preventing high blood sugar and high insulin levels.
3. Choose low caloric-density foods. A fresh apple has about 90 calories; a piece of apple pie about 350 calories.
4. Eat low-calorie foods first. Having your stomach partially full of low-calorie foods will help you resist overeating during the rest of the meal.
5. Limit eating in front of the TV/Screen. Avoid conditioning yourself to want food every time you watch TV/Screen.
6. Start each day with a good breakfast. Studies have found that people who skip breakfast are more likely to gain excess weight than those who don’t. Eat, for example, whole-grain cereal or toast, a protein food, fruit, and milk, yogurt, or soya milk.
7. Don’t drink your calories. The body does a poor job of monitoring calorie intake from beverages. Eat foods that require chewing, and make water your beverage of choice.
8. Eat slowly. Your body has mechanisms for telling you when you’ve had enough, but they work best when you give them time.
9. Limit portion sizes. You can still eat all the good foods you used to eat - just reduce the amount. Use a plate small enough to limit how much you can take, and don’t take seconds.
10. Eat most meals at home, or take a lunch. Most fast foods and restaurant meals are considerably higher in calories than meals you eat at home. Eat out only on special occasions.
11. Get adequate sleep daily. People who are regularly short on sleep eat more and weigh more than those who get adequate sleep.
12. Be physically active daily. Exercise is one of the best ways to burn up excess calories and body fat.
13. Avoid late-night eating. It’s best to eat your calories earlier in the day when you can burn them up with activity.
14. Weigh yourself regularly. Research shows that people who weigh themselves regularly are less likely to gain weight than those who seldom weigh themselves.
15. Limit stress. People often gain weight during stressful times. If you find stress driving you to overeat, think of ways to reduce it. Get professional help if necessary.
This is a brief overview of 15 lifestyle-related principles that can help you manage your weight. To control your weight for a lifetime in a natural way, gradually incorporate these principles into your life over the next year.
Managing Your Weight for a Lifetime
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