Back to the Basics #1

While there are plenty of ways to lose weight, maintaining your weight loss over the long term is often unsuccessful. If you've lost and found the same pounds several times before, it's probably time to go back to the basics of a healthy weight:

• Prevention of weight gain or stopping recent weight gain can improve your health.
• Health can improve with relatively minor weight reduction (5 percent to 10 percent of body weight).
• Adopting a healthy lifestyle – eating smarter and moving more – can improve your health status even if you don't lose any weight at all.
• If you want to maintain a healthy weight for the rest of your life, it's all about energy balance. Here are three basic steps for success:

Make Smart Choices from Every Food Group

Your body needs the right fuel for your hectic, stress-filled schedule. The best way to get what you need is to enjoy a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods that are packed with energy, protein, vitamins and minerals from all the MyPyramid food groups.

Where can you find these smart choices? When you go shopping, look to the four corners of your supermarket:

• Fruits and vegetables from the produce aisles
• Whole grains from the bakery
• Low-fat milk products from the dairy case
• Lean proteins from the meat/fish/poultry department.

Here's an easy way to eat more produce: Enjoy one fruit and one vegetable as a snack each day. It's quick, easy, tasty and very nutrient-rich.

Source:
American Dietetic Association