Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight

A healthy lifestyle involves many choices. Among them, choosing a balanced diet or healthy eating plan. So how do you choose a healthy eating plan? Let's begin by defining what a healthy eating plan is.



According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, a healthy eating plan:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars
• Stays within your daily calorie needs

 

Eat Healthfully and Enjoy It!

 

A healthy eating plan that helps you manage your weight includes a variety of foods you may not have considered. If "healthy eating" makes you think about the foods you can't have, try refocusing on all the new foods you can eat—

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•  Fresh fruits ― don't think just apples or bananas. All fresh fruits are great choices. Be sure to try some "exotic" fruits, too. How about a mango? Or a juicy pineapple or kiwi fruit! When your favorite fresh fruits aren't in season, try a frozen, canned, or dried variety of a fresh fruit you enjoy. One caution about canned fruits is that they may contain added sugars or syrups. Be sure and choose canned varieties of fruit packed in water or in their own juice.
• Fresh vegetables ― try something new. You may find that you love grilled vegetables or steamed vegetables with an herb you haven't tried like rosemary. You can sauté vegetables in a non-stick pan with a small amount of cooking spray. Or try frozen or canned vegetables for a quick side dish — just microwave and serve. When trying canned vegetables, look for vegetables without added salt, butter, or cream sauces. Commit to going to the produce department and trying a new vegetable each week.
• Calcium-rich foods ― you may automatically think of a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk when someone says "eat more dairy products." But what about low-fat and fat-free yogurts without added sugars? These come in a wide variety of flavors and can be a great dessert substitute for those with a sweet tooth.
• A new twist on an old favorite ― if your favorite recipe calls for frying fish or breaded chicken, try healthier variations using baking or grilling. Maybe even try a recipe that uses dry beans in place of higher-fat meats. Ask around or search the internet and magazines for recipes with fewer calories ― you might be surprised to find you have a new favorite dish!
   

Do I have to give up my favorite comfort food?

 

No! Healthy eating is all about balance. You can enjoy your favorite foods even if they are high in calories, fat or added sugars. The key is eating them only once in a while and balance them out with healthier foods and more physical activity.

Some general tips for comfort foods:

• Consume them less often. If you normally eat these foods every day, cut back to once a week or once a month. You'll be cutting your calories because you're not having the food as often.
• Eat smaller amounts. If your favorite higher calorie food is a chocolate bar, have a smaller size or only half a bar. Be careful! This technique works well for some people, but others may find it is too tempting to have their favorite food available, even in smaller amounts.
• Try a lower-calorie version. Use lower-calorie ingredients or prepare it differently. For example, if your macaroni and cheese recipe uses whole milk, butter, and full-fat cheese, try remaking it with non-fat milk, less butter, light cream cheese, fresh spinach and tomatoes. Just remember to not increase your portion size. For more ideas on how to cut back on calories, see Eat More Weigh Less.

The point is, you can figure out how to include almost any food in your healthy eating plan in a way that still helps you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

Being consistently healthy in your eating choices is the key. Making the same healthy eating choices over time can lead to better eating habits. By thinking more positively and focusing on what you can have, you'll help yourself establish healthy eating habits.

Source http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/index.html

How To Lose Weight

So you've decided to lose weight. But how do you do it? There are many ways to lose weight, but the best method is to choose an eating plan that is healthy and balanced and that you can stick with in the long run.

As difficult as losing weight may seem, the real challenge is keeping the weight off. To be successful, you'll need to replace poor eating habits with healthy ones that are realistic and flexible enough to be followed for life.

Some diet programs promise weight reductions of more than two or three pounds a week, but such claims are not completely honest. Ten or more pounds in the first few weeks is possible, but that quick weight loss won't last.

Initially, weight reduction comes mostly from the loss of water and the breakdown of muscle protein, not fat. When you eventually replace these vital substances -- as will happen when you resume normal eating habits -- you are likely to regain the weight. Diets that promote transient weight losses can do psychological harm. Few things are more discouraging than watching a 10- or 20-pound weight loss evaporate into a 2- or 3-pound loss.

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The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) was established to document effective behaviors shared by those who successfully lose weight and keep it off. The NWCR found that those who successfully lost weight dropped an average of 66 pounds over 5.5 years. To achieve this, individuals not only adhered to a low-calorie, low-fat diet that included breakfast and closely monitored their weight and food intake, but they also engaged in high levels of physical activity.

Source http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/weight-loss/how-to-lose-weight.htm