Maintaining or accomplishing a healthy body mass
involves two things--- diet and regular exercise.
"Diet" in this case does not necessarily
mean going on a specific diet. The healthiest and most permanent way to
"diet" is to change your long-term eating habits to specifically
target decreasing your fat intake to less than 30% of your total calorie
intake and to decrease your caloric intake, at least initially. All foods
that you buy at the grocery store are now required to list the number of
fat calories and fat grams contained in them, which makes it much easier
for the consumer to control her fat intake. Increasing the numbers and
variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains that you eat will help you to
maintain your ideal weight as well as decrease your risk for other health
problems such as heart disease and certain types of cancer. Beware
of snack foods that are labeled "low fat" or "non fat".
These foods may be low in fat but they are often high in calories, so if
you wish to include these items in your diet you must watch the portions.(e.g.
eating the whole box of low fat devil's food cookies is not a good idea)
Making these changes to your diet does not mean that eating has to become
a tedious, boring exercise, it can still be enjoyable and full of flavor.
Many cookbooks are available that contain recipes for foods that you may
have never tried and new versions of the classics, and they often contain
lists of substitutes for ingredients such as butter , sour cream, salt
and other undesirables. (Also check your local newspaper and magazines
for new recipes.)
Exercise is the other important aspect of maintaining
a healthy lifestyle. Although most of us dread the idea of sweating and
slaving over a rigorous exercise schedule, it really does not have to be
so difficult. Initially you should plan to do at least 30 minutes of an
aerobic exercise five times per week to improve your weight and conditioning,
then you can maintain this improvement by exercising at least three times
per week. The key is to take it slowly based on your level of fitness--
don't try to run a triathlon during the first week. Choose an activity
or various activities that you will enjoy such as going to the gym, walking,
biking, using a treadmill or ski machine, or try out one of the workout
videos available at your video rental store. Local malls now sponsor walk
groups so that you can safely and comfortably walk off some calories.
This introduction to weight loss is just an outline.
Ask your doctor for specific calorie and exercise guidelines that are right
for you, or consult a book on fitness and health for tables of ideal body
weights and calorie intakes. Make these changes gradually and they will
last a lifetime, and just remember that we don't all have to look like
Christie Brinkley to be beautiful and HEALTHY women.