A healthy weight is the key to a healthy aging.
You might put on weight because:
· You consume too many calories. You may be eating out a lot, eating servings that are too large, snacking too often on high-fat foods or consuming drinks that contain a lot of sugar.
· You are not active enough and inactive people are more likely to carry more body fat.
· You are losing muscle and gaining fat as your metabolism slows downs. Because muscle helps burn calories, you will find that it’s harder to burn off what you eat. At the same time, your body needs fewer calories the older you get, even if you are active. (Strength training is the key to preventing further muscle loss. Take a look on www.ExpressFatLoss.com)
· You eat to help cope with your emotions or problems in your day-to-day life, or because you’re sad or lonely, angry or bored. As a result, you may turn to your comfort foods, which tend to be higher in fat and sugar, instead of talking to a friend or going for a walk.
If you eat a variety of different foods, you won’t feel bored or deprived and you are more likely to get all the nutrients you need.
Eat breakfast
Eating breakfast is one of the most important things you can do to lose weight.
During the night, your metabolism slows down. Eating a balanced breakfast – such as high-fiber cereal, fruit and milk – helps to kick-start your body in the morning and it will burn fuel more efficiently throughout the day.
Plan our meals around high-fiber foodsYou will feel less hungry if you eat more vegetables, fruit, legumes (such as beans, lentils and chickpeas), and whole grains. Always eat three meals and 2 to 3 snack a day. When you skip meals or snacks, you tend to eat more at the next one too often.
Watch your fatsBecause you need some fat to stay healthy, make sure you choose healthy fats instead of unhealthy fats.
Unhealthy fats are saturated and trans fats. Healthy fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They can actually reduce your cholesterol levels and your risk for heart disease and stroke. Healthy fats are found in vegetable oils, fish, nuts and seeds; however, because nuts and seeds are also high in calories, eat them in small amounts.
Just a few calories less a day…For example, an extra 100 calories a day adds up to 10 pounds of extra weight by the end of a year. That’s a slice of bread and margarine, one scoop of ice cream or one can of pop a day.
But if you can cut out those extra calories, or do more to burn them up, there’s no reason you can’t maintain your weight or even lose a few pounds.
Clear out your cupboardsMake the healthy choice the easy choice.
Make sure you only have healthy food choices in your cupboards and your fridge. If it’s not there, you won’t eat it.
Fresh fruit, hard-boiled eggs, cut-up veggies and canned tuna are all great foods to keep around. So are dried fruits, such as raisins or cranberries, but eat them is small amounts.
Control your servings
Most people underestimate how much they eat in a day by as much as one-third. Canada’s Food Guide provides clear information about how much food equals one Food Guide Serving for each of the four major food groups.
For example, one serving of fresh vegetables equals a half a cup of broccoli, one serving of grains equals a half a cup of brown rice or pasta, one serving of meat is two-and-a-half ounces of lean beef and so on.
What you drink can e just as important as what you eat. Just one soft drink a day can add up to 10 pounds a year.
Regular soft drinks, fruit juice and alcohol are all high in calories (soft drinks, especially, can also contribute to tooth decay).Even coffee and tea can be full of calories if you add sugar, cream or whole milk. And fancy coffees, such as flavored lattes and cappuccinos, can be as calorie-rich as a slice of cake.
Move your bodyEating is pleasurable, but other things can be just as fun, like hiking, working out or just a nice walk outside after dinner.
If you plan to change your weight, how you do it is important. You do not want to lose muscle or bone mass, because these are vital for all your daily activities – like carrying in the groceries or picking up your kids.
Follow a weight-loss program ( www.ExpressFatLoss.com) that includes activities designed to preserve muscle mass as well as strength and flexibility.
Be of good cheerLosing just a little weight can make a huge difference. For example, just losing five to 10 percent of your body weight – that’s just 10 to 20 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds – can significantly reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Weight loss can also help you manage these diseases better and make you feel more energetic.
This chapter is devoted to the idea that making and eating healthy food does not have to be difficult, time consuming or expensive.