1.
Make healthy choices part of your lifestyle. If
you are committed to eating well and being more active
as
a lifestyle change that
extends beyond any “fad” diet, you will
loose weight more successfully and keep it off longer.
2.
Remember to set realistic dieting and exercise
goals. Drastic
eating and exercise changes or strict
limits on what you can or cannot eat can often lead to bing
eating or giving
up
on
the goal
of a healthier lifestyle altogether.
Rather than making several changes all at once, make smaller
goals that you believe
you
can realistically accomplish and maintain.
The NCCDPHP suggests setting
a new small challenge each week.
3.
Keep an inventory of your eating and exercise patterns. Make
sure you keep a food
and exercise journal. Write
down everything
you eat and your situation and feelings
while you were eating. This can help you examine
why you eat and what
satisfies your
hunger more completely.
4.
Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables
each day. Try
substituting fruits and
vegetables in
the place
of higher
calorie,
less nutritious foods such as potato chips or cookies.
5.
Eat foods that are high in fiber. The
NCCDPHP suggests you eat whole grain cereals,
legumes, vegetables,
and
fruits in
order to
get more fiber in your diet.
Fiber-filled foods can often make you feel
full with fewer calories.
6.
Make and eat meals and snacks at home. When
you pick and choose your meal
you can decide on
portion
size and
what ingredients
you put in. Make sure you
prepare meals with low calories. A
good way
to do this is to switch to
nonfat milk, low-fat cheeses, and to use
a cooking spray instead of
oil or butter
when cooking.
7.
Use a scale and measuring cup to measure
serving sizes. A
scale or measuring cup is an accurate
way to make sure
you are
only eating
according to the serving
size on food labels. Make sure you check labels and count
calories
according
to how
many servings
you
eat.
8.
Make healthy snack choices. Choose
snacks that are nutritious and filling.
The NCCDPHP
recommends
a piece
of fresh fruit,
cut raw vegetables,
or a container of low-fat yogurt.
9.
Eat slowly. Make
sure to eat only when you are hungry
and slow down so that you
can enjoy
all
the smells,
tastes, and
textures your
meal has to offer. Keep in mind that
it takes your stomach
about 15 minutes
to signal to your brain that you
are full.
10.
Increase or keep up with physical activity. Try
to fit in at least 30 minutes of
moderate-intensity physical
activity
for
adults
or 60 minutes
for children on five or more days
of the week. If
this seems like a lot,
remember that even adding
small amounts
of exercise
to your daily routine has a benefit.
If
you can’t
add 30 minutes
right of the bat, work up to it,
and then exceed even that amount!
11.
Learn to forgive yourself. Everyone
makes
mistakes. Just because you splurge and get
high-calorie
breakfast doesn’t mean
you have ruined
your entire day. Try to eat extra
healthy the rest of
the day
or
add more
physical activity to your day
to balance
out the increase in calories.
