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Weight Loss Through Healthy Eating and Exercise

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Experts agree that the best strategy for losing weight is healthy eating and regular physical activity. Before starting any weight loss program you should always talk it over with your doctor. It is best to lose weight on a slow and steady basis, ¾ to two pounds per week but no more than three pounds in one week. One pound is equal to 3,500 calories. To lose one pound a week, you should eat 500 less calories a day or burn an additional 500 calories a day.

The following are tips for eating healthy:

• Choose a weight loss program that promotes reduced calories but does not eliminate specific food groups.
• Eat a variety of fruits - For a 2,000 calorie diet you should have two cups of fruit each day. You may choose from fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruit. Eat a variety so that you don’t get bored.
• Eat a variety of vegetables – Choose from dark vegetables, such as broccoli, leafy greens, and kale; orange vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash; beans and peas, such as kidney beans, pinto beans, split peas, and lentils.
• Protein – Select meats and poultry items that are lean. It is best to bake, broil, or grill your meats. Vary your choices with fish, beans, peas, and nuts.
• Grains – Half of the grains you eat each day should be whole grains. You should have at least three ounces of whole grains, such as cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta daily.
• Calcium – Get three cups of calcium through milk or other calcium rich foods, such as cheese and yogurt.
• Salt – Restrict your salt intake to less than 2,300 mg of sodium each day. This is equal to approximately one teaspoon of salt each day.
• Saturated fats – Less than ten percent of your daily calorie intake should be from saturated fatty acids. Get your fats from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish and nuts.

Getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise six days a week can greatly improve your health. To lose or maintain weight loss, gradually increase your exercising from 30 minutes per day to 60 to 90 minutes. Choose physical activities that incorporate a mixture of cardiovascular, resistance, stretching, and strength training.

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