Happy New Year!

So coincidentally my blog started around the holidays which means that the majority of the posts were less than healthy and more about enjoying the season.  Now that the holidays are over, I, like most of you are probably rethinking diet and exercise programs and gearing up to start the year off well.  So let's start the year off together with talking a little bit about weight loss.

Losing Weight Safely:

With the New Year upon us,  many people are considering weight loss.  Being overweight increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and other illnesses.  Losing weight reduces these risks, but it must be done correctly.

DON’T DEPRIVE YOURSELF OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS

Telling yourself that you cannot have something just makes you want it more.  Have your favorite dish, but just a little bit.  Pairing your favorite side dish with a healthy main dish and some tasty vegetables can help curb your cravings.

EAT LESS SUGAR AND FAT

You would be surprised how something this simple can cut calories really fast.  Fried foods and sugar filled desserts can quickly use up your daily calorie allotment.

Foods that contain a lot of fat and/or sugar are known as “empty calorie” foods.  This means that they give you calories and not much else.  Most of the time these foods offer little or no nutritional value.

TRY TO EXERCISE FOR 30 MINUTES EACH DAY 

Exercising for 30 minutes 3-5 times per week can help you to use up calories that you ate and also some of the calories that have been stored up in your body.  Exercise is easier than you think!  Park further away and walk when you are at the mall, use the stairs instead of the elevator at work or do sit ups during the commercials between your favorite show.  When done correctly these three activities can make up your 30 minutes per day!

ALWAYS EAT A VARIETY OF FOODS

Variety in the diet helps you get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that you need, plus you never get bored!

SET SENSIBLE GOALS

Your doctor or other health professional can help you set sensible goals based on a proper weight for your height, build and age.

Men and very active women may need up to 2,500 calories per day to maintain weight.  Other women and inactive men need only about 1,200 calories per day.  A safe plan is to eat 300-500 fewer calories a day to lose 1-2 pounds per week.  Anymore than 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week is not safe and not recommended.

WATCH OUT FOR PROMISES OF QUICK WEIGHT LOSS

Fad diets aren’t good because they often call for too much or too little of one type of food.  As a result, you may not get important nutrients each day.  Remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

TIPS FOR CUTTING CALORIES AND FAT

©        Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains

©        Eat only small amounts of foods high in fat and/or calories

©        Eat less sugar and fewer sweets

©        Drink alcohol in moderation

©        Chose foods whose labels say “low”, “light”, or “reduced” to describe it’s fat or calories.

©        Replace ice cream with low-fat frozen yogurt

©        Replace sour cream with plain yogurt

©        Trim excess fat off of fish, poultry and meat

©        Broil, roast or steam food