Healthy Weight: Achieve and Maintain Yours with Nutrition and Exercise

A healthy weight is the weight your body naturally achieves when your physical activities and lifestyle are in balance with the nutritious foods you eat. When the calories you eat match the calories you burn, you will settle into the right weight for you.

Getting to and maintaining your healthy weight means eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables while limiting empty calories (calories from sugary soft drinks, cakes, pies, and other dessert foods) and eating less fat and highly processed foods.

Exercise is also an important component to managing a healthy weight. Exercise moderately at least 30 minutes per day, five or more days per week. Mix up your exercise plan with a brisk walk, cycling, shooting hoops, working out at the gym or engaging in an enjoyable activity that gets your heart beating faster and makes you feel invigorated.

Common Causes of Being Overweight

Many factors in our daily lives that contribute to being overweight. Poor diet and inactivity are commonly recognized, but some medications, medical problems, and excess stress can cause weight gain as well. Other factors also put people at increased risk of becoming overweight, including family history, age (as we age, our metabolism slows) and sex.

Control Your Calories

A calorie is a measurement of the energy your body needs to function. If your body takes in more calories than it needs on a daily basis, it stores the excess as fat. The formula to lose weight, requires you have to use up more calories than you take in. Follow these some tips to help manage your calorie intake:

• Reduce your fat intake. Fat has twice the calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates. Animal foods such as meat and dairy products are a big source of fats.

• Eat complex carbohydrates like those found in whole grains, vegetables, and beans. These are good lower calorie foods that give you nutrients and fiber.

• Drink water in lieu of soft drinks. Simple carbohydrates, such as in soft drinks and sweets are high in calories and provide few nutrients and no fiber.

• Eat frequent, small meals. It is an important diet component that helps you digest foods and keep blood sugar levels stable. It may also lower cholesterol.

Incorporate More Physical Activity into your Life

Prior to beginning any exercise program, always consult your physician first. Then, strive to be active for at least 30 minutes a day through walking, bicycling, or whatever physician approved exercise program works for you. Walking 30 minutes per day as little as 3-4 times per week can improve your health.

The Benefits of Achieving a Healthy Weight

• Reduces risk of heart disease and stroke

• Lessens chance of developing certain kinds of cancer

• Relieves stress on back and joints

• Increases energy level

• Enhances self esteem