A nutritious diet is the key to healthful living and better weight control.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services[Dr.S.1] reports that four out of five African-American women are overweight or obese, health conditions that can lead to a wide range of problems and that puts them at higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University, however, have identified a large number of African American women who have lost a clinically significant amount of weight and kept it off for longer than a year. Although many different “fad” diets are available, a balanced lifestyle and a nutritious diet is the key to healthful living and better weight control.
10 Tips for Successful Weight Loss
People can lose and then maintain weight loss by taking several achievable steps.
- Be active
Regular exercise supports both physical and emotional health. Increasing the regularity of physical activities in a disciplined manner is important for losing weight successfully because it establishes a pattern of consistency. There are many ways to be “active” that are not sweaty gym exercises. Be open-minded about ways to boost how much you move in a day: dance to a favorite song, vacuum under the stairs, or weed the garden. Aim for 60 minutes of moderate-intensity (e.g., a brisk walk) exercise each day.When 60 minutes a day is not possible,the Mayo Clinic recommends that an individual focus on being active for at least 150 minutes each week.
- Identify and Reduce Triggers
Many environmental and social cue scan motivate us to eat unnecessarily. For instance, it is easy to get into the habit of binging on a favorite late-night snack while watching a favorite television program. Keeping track of when you overeat and what you are doing at the time can help identify trigger sand ways of changing an everyday routine to reduce those kinds of triggers.
The support of friends and family is crucial to many people’s effective weight loss journey. There are also many different ways to share your goals and achievements with others who will inspire you to maintain healthy habits on bad days. Some might prefer to invite their relatives and close friends to join them as exercise buddies, diet cheerleaders, or teammates, while others prefer posting updates, photographs, or videos on social media to document their progress.
- [Dr.S.2] Practice portion control
Identify what size portions will satisfy your hunger to better manage your overall food intake. Three common ways of practicing portion control include eating such meal substitutes as protein bars and shakes, using smaller bowls or plates to serve, and weighing or measuring out individual portions instead of taking directly from the main container. These strategies reduce mindless eating “because it is there” when you are no longer hungry.
- Prepare ahead of time
Stock the pantry, fridge, and freezer with food that is diet-friendly and establish an organized meal plan to promote more substantial weight loss. Keep the ingredients to make an easy and healthy meal and snack on hand. Display better food options more prominently so that they will be more tempting. For example, store items like raspberries, pre-cut and washed broccoli, carrots, and cucumbers, and low-fat yogurt at the front of the fridge. The more appealing the healthy food options appear, the less likely you will be to consume junk food.
- Learn new, better methods to manage stress and emotions
Food is often used as comfort when an individual is anxious, sad,or lonely. Eating to manage your mental state, however, perpetuates a vicious cycle of regret and poor health. Explore alternative techniques to decrease stress and cope with emotional challenges like calling a friend,practicing deep breathing, taking a bath, or even going for a brisk walk.Indeed, regular aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, and improve sleep and self-esteem. Even five minutes of aerobic exercise can help.
Skipping meals will not assist you in losing weight. When nutrient-deficient, you are less likely to exercise and sleep well and more likely to snack on poor options when hungry later.
- Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense and low-calorie. They provide the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are crucial ingredients for weight loss.
- Drink a lot of water
Many people mistake thirst for hunger. Avoid eating more calories when a glass of water will make you feel better. High-sugar drinks (carbonated, energy, and even fruit juice)are calorie dense, offer little-to-no nutrition, and are associated with weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.
- Eat food that is high in fiber
Fiber is an important part of the human diet. It maintains digestive health, prevents constipation, and lowers cholesterol. Foods that are high-fiber also keep you feeling full for longer, which supports weight loss. Fruits and vegetables, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, beans, brown rice, and many other tasty, nutritious foods are high in fiber.
References
[Dr.S.1]This is too general to be credible to the reader. Identify the actual source of this 4 out of 5 figure — what survey? what government report? what government body? what scientific study conducted by which research group?
[Dr.S.2]It would make sense to add to this section some of the online communities that support Americans who are trying to lose weight.
[Dr.S.3]So … hard-no on intermittent fasting, i gather?
