The secret to maintaining a healthy weight is to balance “energy in” and “energy out.” Energy in means the calories you get from the food and beverages you consume. Energy out means the calories you burn for basic body functions and during physical activity. Check your weight once a week. Then you’ll know whether you are balancing the calories in and calories out or whether you need to be more active. There are 4 things you can consider to maintain a healthy weight.
1. Exercise:
Regular physical activity burns calories and builds muscle — both of which help you look and feel good and keep weight off. Walking the family dog, cycling to school, and doing other things that increase your daily level of activity can all make a difference. If you want to burn more calories, increase the intensity of your workout and add some strength exercises to build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when you aren’t exercising. Although any amount of regular physical activity is good for you, aim for at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Unless you are already that active, you won’t do that much all at once—10-minute sessions several times a day on most days are fine.
2. Determine your Daily Calorie Needs:
Your daily calorie needs depend on your age, gender, and physical activity level. Use your physical activity diary to determine which general category you fall into: sedentary, moderately active, or active.
Look for tables or calculators online that will enable you to estimate your daily calorie needs. Finding a general category will not give you an exact number of calories you must consume each day to maintain a healthy weight, but it will give you a good estimate. If you find that you are gaining weight despite using this estimate, you can adjust downward by 200 calories until you find the right balance.
3. Relaxation Mode:
Meditate, pray, or otherwise find solace for at least 10-20 minutes each day. Contemplation is good for your soul, helps you cope with the demands of daily life, and may even help lower your blood pressure. Acupuncture in Ashford can also help in maintaining healthy weight due to blood circulation. It also relaxes your muscles. Try yoga. The poses help increase strength and flexibility and improve balance. These are critical areas for older folks especially, and both men and women can benefit.
4. Eat Breakfast Every Day:
Starting your day with a healthy breakfast is the best way to jumpstart your metabolism and give you the energy to focus and perform throughout your day. A healthy breakfast includes sources of vitamins and protein as well as healthy fiber.
You also might consider batching breakfasts such as make-ahead breakfast wraps or fruit salad and putting it in the freezer if your time is limited in the morning. Then all you have to do is heat each portion up for a few seconds in the microwave and you’re ready to go.
