HABITS~NOT~DIETS

Helpful Hints…Always consult with your doctor before going on any weight loss or exercise program. We need to get off the roller coaster of dieting once and for all by developing habits that we will be able to maintain for the rest of our lives. It may take a little more discipline, patience, and hard work this way, but the end results will be worth it all. There is a Five Word Diet Plan…and the only one that works: Eat Less and Move More!

Yo-yo dieting is not healthy. When someone goes on a fad diet and loses a lot of weight they usually gain it back plus several extra pounds when they go off the diet. Why is this? It is because they have not learned the secret of changing their eating habits for life. Fad diets are only a “temporary fix” for a “permanent problem.”

There is not a trendy diet or magic pill that will make us lose weight and keep it off forever. The key is to strike a balance between “calories in and calories out” by eating less calories and exercising more. We can lose weight and keep it off for life if we will just take the time and effort to change our eating habits.

• Avoid processed foods, or at least foods where you can’t pronounce the ingredients. Keep foods as natural as possible.

• Eat a variety of foods to get the energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need for good health.

• Eliminate sugar.

• Eat less fat

• Choose whole grains.

• Eliminate junk foods.

MODERATION IS THE KEY TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Most Americans eat too much of the wrong foods. You don’t have to make drastic changes in your daily intake of food, just take a few simple steps at a time and let them become a “behavioral change” for the rest of your life.

Plan on losing weight slowly. Everyone wants fast results, but you can’t undo bad eating habits over night. Plan ahead. Teach yourself to like healthy foods and dislike unhealthy ones.

Never give up, even after you have failed a few times. When you fail, start over.