10 Tips for Easy Weight Maintenance

By: Nancy Cope - [health/fitness]
1. Drink plenty of water.

The quantity and the quality of the water we consume determines our body's ability to metabolize and shed excess fat. Water also suppresses the appetite naturally and helps digest our food properly.
The average adult needs at least eight 8oz. glasses of pure water a day. Start out by drinking an extra glass for breakfast, one before lunch and one an hour or two before bedtime.

2. Walk every day.

It is important to get exercise to maintain a healthy weight. Many people don't think they have time to exercise every day. Walking is a great exercise and it is very easy to fit into anyones schedule. Take stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther away from the door when going shopping or to work - it's easier to get a spot and the extra steps will be beneficial.

3. Avoid fad diets.

In order to maintain a weight loss, you must change your lifestyle. Banning specific foods from your diet will only make you want them more. Set aside one day a week when you can eat whatever you want. Many fad diets can also be dangerous to your health. Any diet will work in the beginning, but if you cannot stay on the diet for the rest of your life, you will likely gain the weight back.

4. Watch how you cook your foods.

Most conventional methods of cooking rob foods of their vitamins and minerals. Try greaseless waterless cookware - it retains vitamins and minerals and also saves calories. Limit fats and fried foods.

5. Never skip breakfast.

Skipping breakfast will only make you hungrier later in the morning. Most people will just grab a donut or something else that is unhealthy. If you are in a hurry, grab a piece of fresh fruit.

6. Keep fresh fruits and healthy snacks on hand.

This is important when you just want to grab a snack and don't have time to prepare anything. It's healthier than processed quick snacks such as cookies and just as quick.

7. Don't go shopping when you are hungry.

You've probably heard this hundreds of times. This is because it is important. When you are hungry you are more likely to buy unhealthy quick snacks. If you are like most people, if a particular food is not in the house, you won't think about or want it.

8. Weigh yourself once a week.

While some people would have you throw out your scale, I believe it is important to keep an eye on the scale. Try to weigh yourself the same day and time each week. This way if you see you are more than a few pounds from your ideal weight, you can cut back on snacks for a week and you won't have a lot of weight to lose.

9. Eat plenty of fiber.

Fiber is important to digestion. It also helps keeps you full. The daily recommended fiber intake for the average adult is about 25-30 grams. The average person gets only about half of this. Switch to whole grain breads and cereals. I recommend at least 6 grams of fiber for breakfast cereal. There are many good tasting cereals available with plenty of fiber, just read the nutrition labels. Fruits are a good source of fiber as are legumes and whole grains. Keep a diary of your food intake for a week, you may be surprised at how little fiber you are actually getting.

10. Limit sodium intake.

The conventional recommended intake of sodium was 2400 mg of salt a day, this had recently been lowered to approx. 1500 mg a day. Most Americans get about 4000 mg a day. All this sodium comes from processed and canned foods. Many soups have up to 900 mg of sodium in one cup. Since many cans of soup have more than one serving, if you eat the whole can, you can go over the recommended sodium intake with just that one can of soup. Many frozen dinners also have enough sodium in one serving to account for your entire daily allowance in one serving. Again, I recommend keeping a diary of your food intake for a month and recording the amount of sodium. Read your food labels and don't forget to check the serving sizes. You may be surprised at how much sodium you are actually consuming.

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Nancy has been studying health and nutrition and has maintained her weight for over 20 years using these tips.

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