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Healthy Weight Management Suggestions!
Every grocery store has magazines highlighting healthy weight management suggestions. They come in all types of publications from Readers Digest to Family Circle. These magazines cover a wide range of topics from sound dietary principles to the latest fad diet.
If you’re like most people, you’ve tried numerous diets and weight loss plans. The net result is short term weight loss followed by weight gain which usually results in frustration. Frustration with the process! Additionally, you heap guilt and blame upon yourself for your lack of will power and discipline. This article is designed to empower you with several healthy weight management suggestions that will improve your overall health and wellness. Plus, it will have a direct impact on your aging process.
The Paradigm Shift
Of all the healthy weight management suggestions that I could give you, the first one centers on a paradigm shift in your thinking. Very few people will ever be successful in weight management if all they do is focus on dieting. Dieting is restrictive, negative, and self-defeating because it always sets you up for failure.
Instead, focus your diet on improving your health and wellness. Generally speaking, people who consistently focus on food selections that will improve their health and wellness experience weight loss. This leads to long term weight management. The paradigm shift is looking at food not for dieting purposes but for improving your health and wellness.
By changing your paradigm from “DIET” to “WELLNESS” you will look at your food choices in a completely different light. By shifting your focus from appearance to well-being, you’ll start to see the real connection between weight and health. True, long-term weight management comes when you have resolved to make the investment in your health.
Another healthy weight management suggestion would be to shift your goal. If you are overweight or obese, then your goal is not to become skinny. Let me repeat this so that there is no misunderstanding.
IF YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE, THEN YOUR GOAL IS NOT TO BECOME SKINNY!
The 10% Solution!
If your goal isn’t to become skinny than what should it be? My suggestion would be “The 10% Solution!” It is a healthy weight management suggestion that is simple to understand and a reasonable goal to achieve.
The objective of “The 10% Solution” is to reduce your body weight by 10%. If you currently weight 300 pounds then your goal is to loose 30 pounds. If your current weight is 250 pounds then your goal is to loose 25 pounds. If you weigh 200 pounds then your goal is 20 pounds.
Simple but profound! Why? Because it will take you out of the health category you are currently in and move you into a better health category. If you are obese, then loosing 10% will move you to overweight. If you are overweight, then loosing 10% will move you into the average category. As you move into each new category, your health risks will decease and your overall health and wellness will increase.
The Secret to Weight Loss!
The next healthy weight management suggestion is found in the secret to weight loss. I’ve written a separate article for this but the following formula provides a brief review:
Calories In vs. Calories Out =
Weight Gain, Weight Loss, or Weight Stays the Same
“Calories In” represents the calories you bring into your body through the foods you eat and the beverages you drink. “Calories Out” represents the calories your body burns up based on your metabolism and the activities you participate in. If the “Calories In” are less than the “Calories Out” then you will loss weight.
Our goal in the 10% solution is to lose 10% of our weight. The application of this formula becomes extremely powerful because it gives you three methods for losing your weight:
- Method 1 – Reduce Your Caloric Intake!
- Method 2 – Increase Your Caloric Expenditure!
- Method 3 – Do Both!
To make the 10% solution a reality we are going to use this formula to create a 500 calorie goal.
A 500 Calorie Goal!
The goal is not to live on 500 calories per day but to reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories per day. Right away most people begin to think in terms of denial. This healthy weight management suggestion is a lot easier than you think especially if you use Method 3. Let me highlight some simple but healthy weight management suggestions that can help you achieve this 500 calorie goal.
First, let’s reduce your caloric intake by:
- Reducing your soft drink consumption. Every 12 ounce can of soda replace by water saves you 150 calories.
- Looking to eliminate 50 to 100 calories in your evening meal. The easiest way is to cut your spreads in half. Use half the butter, sauce, or dressing you used before. This saves you an average of 50 to 75 calories.
- Finding alternatives. A great website to help you find alternatives in your food selection is www.my-calorie-counter.com or Google “calorie counting” for other free websites. The average savings for each alternative could be 25 to 100 calories.
- Reducing your portion size especially if you eat out. If you eat at home then take one less scoop of food for an average savings 50 to 100 calories. If you drink 12 ounces of juice then go with 6 ounces for an average savings of 80 calories. If you eat at a restaurant then take half of it home for the following day. This could result in saving you 700 to 1500 calories depending upon the size and content of your meal.
Just a couple of these healthy weight management suggestions could quickly create your 500 calorie goal. But using the other part of the formula also helps. You could increase your caloric expenditure by:
- Playing with your children. No only will it create a special bond but light to moderate playing for 30 minutes will burn up 111 to 159 calories for a 175 lbs. person.
- Sit up rather than lie down. Just the change in your position from lying on the couch to sitting up will help you burn more calories at a rate of approximately 60 more per hour.
- Burn more calories. Instead of finding the closest parking space to the front door park at the back of the lot and walk. Instead of taking the elevator to go to the second or third floor use the stairs. Instead of having someone else wipe down your car at the car wash wipe it down yourself. Instead of letting the dust collect around the house do some general cleaning. All these extra activities can help you burn an additional 100 calories during the day.
- Find an activity you enjoy and enjoy it. Whether it be a leisurely bike ride, a bowling group, general exercise, basketball, soccer, gardening, playing a musical instrument or some other activity, 30 minutes spent could burn anywhere from 100 to 250 calories depending upon your weight and intensity.
Your Results Will Vary
By creating your 500 calorie goal through a combination of reducing your caloric intake and increasing your caloric expenditure you will be able to drive your weight loss program. Your results will vary because I don’t know if your weight has been stable or increasing over the last couple of months.
If your weight has been stable over the last 4 weeks, then you should see a one to two pound weight loss every week for the next couple of weeks. If you’ve gained 2 lbs over the last 4 weeks, then you should see a one to two pound weight loss every 2 to 3 weeks. Your results will be completely determined by your ability to utilize “The Secret to Weight Loss” formula.
Two additional healthy weight management suggestions can be found in my article, “Successful Weight Management Control Hinges on These Two Rules!” The first rule centers on water and making sure it’s your primary beverage. Pure water is critically important to your metabolism and numerous studies have tied it to weight loss.
The second rule is making sure that you don’t eat at least 2 hours prior to bedtime. I won’t go into all the details on why this is so important except to say this. It is the one rule that will consistently help you with long term weight management. Please read my article on why this is so important. What that said, I hope you enjoy your journey to better health as your paradigm changes from “DIET” to “WELLNESS!”
Until next time, may we both age youthfully!
Synergistically yours,
P.S. I recommend the following articles to help you understand the keys that will empower you to properly manage your weight, slow your aging, and improve your overall wellness:
Successful Weight Management Control Hinges on These Two Rules!
Is the Leptin Hormone a Critical Factor in Successful Weight Loss?
4 Basic Weight Management Strategies!
A Glycemic Index Chart Can Improve Your Health!
Return from Healthy Weight Management Suggestions to Weight Management
Return from Healthy Weight Management Suggestions to Aging No More (Home Page)
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The information contained in this website and posted articles are for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam. The information contained in this website and posted articles has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.
