| Weight loss is not just about changing what | | | | vegetables, and fruits -- can help you feel |
| you eat, it's also about adding more exercise | | | | full with fewer calories. |
| activities during your week. | | | | |
| | | | Another great tip: Prepare your meals and |
| We need to change our eating habits, to stop | | | | snacks at home. This is a great way to save |
| eating the junk foods and highly processed | | | | money, eat healthy, and spend time with your |
| foods and replace them with good, healthy | | | | family. When preparing meals, choose low-fat |
| foods. You need to eat foods that supply you | | | | low-calorie versions of your favorite foods. |
| with all the nutrients that are required to | | | | |
| keep our bodies healthy. | | | | Snacks can comprise simple of a piece of |
| | | | fresh fruit, cut raw vegetables, or a |
| Before making any changes, I recommend that | | | | container of low-fat yogurt. These are |
| you start a food and activity journal. In | | | | portable and an excellent choice to tide you |
| this, you not only write down what you eat, | | | | over until mealtimes. Take these snacks with |
| but where, when, and what you were feeling at | | | | you for a healthy alternative to chips, |
| the time. This will help you will see what | | | | cookies, or candy. |
| triggers your hunger and what satisfies your | | | | |
| appetite. What foods do you routinely shop | | | | As I mentioned earlier, weight loss success |
| for? What snacks do you keep in the pantry? | | | | also requires that you increase your physical |
| | | | activity. Aim for at least 30 minutes |
| Once you start to see patterns in your | | | | (adults) or 60 minutes (children) of moderate |
| journal, you're ready to start taking action. | | | | intensity activity for at least three or more |
| But keep in mind that deciding to reduce the | | | | days a week. If you are just starting to be |
| calories, fat, saturated fat, and sugar in | | | | physically active, remember that even small |
| your diet is a big step, and trying to do | | | | increases provide health benefits. Check with |
| that at the same time you endeavour to make a | | | | your physician first, and then start with a |
| drastic change in your physical activity | | | | few minutes of activity a day and gradually |
| level, may be biting off too much change at | | | | increase, working your way up to 30 minutes. |
| one time. Which, sadly, can set you up for | | | | If you already achieve 30 minutes of |
| failure. Instead of trying to make all the | | | | moderate-intensity physical activity a day, |
| changes at once, I recommend that you set | | | | you can gain even more health benefits by |
| smaller, more realistic goals for yourself | | | | increasing the amount of time that you are |
| and plan to add in a new challenge each week. | | | | physically active or by taking part in more |
| | | | vigorous-intensity activities. |
| Don't plan to starve yourself, either. This | | | | |
| won't help you lose weight. It's much better | | | | The balance of calories consumed against your |
| to eat small, regular meals five or six times | | | | activity level will either cause weight loss |
| a day, so that the body never feels | | | | or gain. The more calories you eat, the more |
| threatened and tempted to hold on to its fat | | | | physical you need to be. For example for |
| stores. Eating regular meals also helps to | | | | every 100 calories you consume and not burn a |
| maintain your blood sugar at a constant level | | | | day, you will gain about 1 pound in a month. |
| so that you don't start craving sugary food | | | | That's about 10 pounds in a year. The bottom |
| when your blood sugar levels drop. | | | | line is that to lose weight, you must reduce |
| | | | your calories and increase your physical |
| Adding fibre to your diet -- such as whole | | | | activity. |
| grain cereals, legumes (lentils and beans), | | | | |