Weight Management Strategies
3 min read
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Weight management techniques involve long-term lifestyle strategies that promote healthy eating and physical activity to aid weight loss, maintain an ideal weight, or prevent future health conditions like heart disease or diabetes. These strategies may also be employed by those looking to lose weight quickly and successfully.
Drastically cutting calories, eliminating food or beverages you enjoy or starving yourself are not sustainable long-term strategies for success. Make small adjustments in your diet and exercise program that you can stick with over time for optimal success.
Reduce Calories In
To successfully lose and keep off weight, it’s crucial that you reduce the number of calories your body is consuming. One effective method for doing so is swapping out high calorie food items like candy for lower calorie alternatives such as fruits and vegetables; an online food diary or database can help track progress towards this goal.
Though cutting calories may seem like the obvious solution to weight management, increasing physical activity is just as essential to weight control as cutting back on calories. Internal motivation to pursue healthier living and increase self-esteem are also integral parts of weight control; additionally a supportive network such as family members who advocate a healthy lifestyle as well as personal trainers or behavioral and life coaches may prove extremely helpful in maintaining a healthier lifestyle.
Increase Calories Out
Though calorie counting can play an integral part in weight loss, diet modifications to include more nutritious food items while cutting back on caloric offerings can also contribute to reaching or maintaining a healthy weight.
Short term, the body prioritizes maintaining equilibrium in energy consumption from meal to meal; hence, calorie reduction on its own often fails when used without being part of an overall behavioral change strategy.
Focusing on sustainable strategies that integrate diet and physical activity are the keys to reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. Swapping out high-calorie items for lower calorie options, cutting portion sizes down and eating more nutritional food will all work in your favor in controlling weight. Keep track of all calories with an online food database or diary.
Eat Smaller Meals
Consuming several smaller meals throughout the day may help those who struggle with digestive issues such as GI inflammation, acid reflux and bloating to find relief from their symptoms (9). Large meals require the body to process more food at one time than smaller ones can digest easily – which increases symptoms further (9).
When eating small and frequent meals, it’s essential to prioritize quality over quantity of food. This means opting for nutritious whole-food alternatives rather than quick and convenient junk foods, and tracking calories as you do so. To prevent overeating and save calories when dining this way.
By eating from smaller plates or bowls and eyeballing portion sizes, you can better regulate your caloric intake. Aiming for meal portions under 200 per serving is an achievable goal to set out.
Stay Active
Physical activity is a crucial component of sustainable weight management. Make time in your day for physical activity, even if just for short bursts; choose activities you enjoy and consider joining groups or finding motivational partners; aim to stay active for at least 2 1/2 hours every week!
Once you’ve achieved weight loss, maintaining a healthy lifestyle may become increasingly challenging. Recognizing situations that could tempt you back into unhealthy behavior is key – for instance, dealing with family or friend sabotage that might tempt you back into old habits may prove stressful; learning ways to deal with such relapse is another essential skill.
Eat Healthy Snacks
Snacking can help bridge gaps between meals and provide energy needed for daily activities, but when filled with nutritionally poor foods it can lead to overeating and weight gain.
To combat this, choose healthy snacks like whole fruit, raw vegetables and low-fat dairy. Avoid foods containing added sugars and salts which contain extra calories.
Plan ahead to prevent hunger turning into desperation and visiting a snack machine or drive-thru. When available, snacks should contain protein, carbs and fats such as nuts (protein), fruit (carbs) and reduced-fat cheese (fat). Keep unhealthy snacks hidden away out of sight and reach.
