5 Simple Rules to Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Weight
By: Lori C. Bridges, PA-C – Wake Internal Medicine Consultants
1. Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals often results in excessive hunger and overeating at the next meal. Consistently skipping meals can also alter metabolism and decrease calorie burn.
2. Don’t drink calories. High calorie drinks like regular soda, juice, sports drinks and sweet tea are loaded with calories and sugar. They are generally void of nutrition. Make your calories count.
3. Move more every day. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise daily. Find ways to sneak it into your day by taking the stairs, parking further, jog in place during commercial breaks, or take a walk during lunch.
4. Don’t deprive yourself. Deprivation often leads to binging. It is often better to have a small serving of a treat than to deny yourself and end up having a very large serving later.
5. Keep track if you are struggling. Log calories daily to see how your input compares to your output. You can use a calorie logging app like myfitnesspal or netdiary and even search the calorie counts and nutrition information of restaurants.
