Jan
18
Written by:
D. Motovidlak
1/18/2012 3:42 PM
Healthy Weight Week is nationally celebrated as a time to recognize life-long healthy living habits and prevent eating and weight control problems. We cannot shape our bodies at will, but we can take steps to be accepting, healthy and happy as we reach for or maintain our ideal weights. Use the following tips to make a healthy change to your lifestyle. You may just see those excess, unwanted pounds start to disappear.
Healthful Habits for a Healthy Weight
· Prepare a healthful shopping list before you go to the supermarket, and stick to the list.
· Confine your meals to the dining room or kitchen table.
· Pour a reasonable portion of cookies, chips or crackers onto a plate or into a bowl instead of eating directly out of a box or bag.
· Freeze leftovers immediately so you can't raid the refrigerator later.
· Drink six to eight glasses of water a day, including a glass before mealtime. Water helps you feel full faster and longer and also helps your body digest food.
· Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol is packed with calories, but no nutrients. Also, it increases appetite and weakens your willpower to avoid the wrong food choices.
· Begin lunch or dinner with a broth-based hot soup. It forces you to eat more slowly and fills you up so you don't overeat.
· Eat more slowly. Rushing through meals doesn't give your brain adequate time to register and signal you when you're full.
· When dining out, request sauces and low-calorie dressings be served on the side so you can use as much or as little as you want.
· Never leave home starving when heading out for a restaurant meal. Before you go, eat a light snack, such as a piece of fruit or a carrot, or drink a glass of juice.
· Don't eat while watching TV. Watching the tube instead of your plate can lull you into overeating; so will the food and snack commercials.
· Stick to your own plate. Nibbling off someone else's dish may seem harmless but the calories add up.
· Choose healthful items if you eat fast food. To do so, avoid fried foods and "super-size" portions.
· Don't go food shopping on an empty stomach. Eat a little something first or you'll be tempted to buy everything in sight.
Copyright ©2012 D. Motovidlak