Managing your diet is about the long-term goal that will last a lifetime. When you lose weight or dieting quickly by a "fad" or "crash" diet the weight is normally put all back or even more weight is gained than they first lost because they haven't changed their long term eating habits. The best weight management or dieting strategies are those that you can maintain from here on wards!
Take note off your drinks
It's shocking how many uneeded calories are in pop, juices and other
drinks. Cutting out pop all together can save you over 300 extra
calories or more every day. Avoid diet pop as well, all the artificial
sweeteners will only make you more hungry. Drink a lot of water.
Switching from whole to dieting or low-fat milk, soy milk or other
sugar-free beverages is also a good idea.
Dont say never to certain foods
Don't tell yourself you'll "never" eat your absolute favorite peanut
butter chocolate ice cream or a bag of potato chips. Making these foods
forbidden is sure to make you want them even more. Besides, you need to
have some fat in your diet to stay healthy, so giving up all fatty foods
all the time isn't a good idea anyway. The key to long-term success is
making healthy choices most of the time. If you want a piece of cake at
a party, go for it! But munch on the carrots rather than the chips to
balance it out later in the evening.
Eat your five fruit or veg a day
Trash the junk food and buy lots of fruits and vegetables!
Small changing at first
Drastic changes are much harder to stick with than small changes. Try
reducing the size of the portions you eat and giving up regular soda for
a week. Once you have that down, start gradually introducing dieting foods and exercise into your life.
Eat smaller portitions more often
Many people find that eating a couple of small snacks throughout the day
helps them to make healthy choices at meals. Stick a couple of dieting snacks (carrot sticks, a low fat granola bar, pretzels or a piece of
fruit) in your backpack so that you can have one or two snacks during
the day. Adding healthy snacks to your three squares and eating smaller
portions when you sit down to dinner can help you cut calories without
feeling deprived or like your dieting.
Dont force more down when your full
Lots of teenagers eat when they're bored, lonely or stressed, or keep eating
long after they're full simply out of habit. It takes about 20 minutes
for your brain to recognize how much is in your stomach, so if you slow
down it will prevent you from eating more than your diet needs. Take a break
before refilling your plate for seconds, and avoid eating when you feel
upset or bored.
Say no to ready made meals and fast food
If we were meant to eat from cans, they'd grow on trees. It's never a
good idea to trade meals for shakes or to give up a food group in the
hope that you'll lose weight. We all need a variety of foods to stay
healthy. Avoid diet pills (even the over-the-counter or herbal variety)
unless your doctor prescribes them.
Keep active
You may find that you don't need to give up calories as much as you need
to get off your behind. Try a variety of activities, such as hiking,
cycling or rowing until you find ones you like for your diet Even the smallest
lifestyle changes like walking to school or jogging up and down the
stairs a couple of times before your morning shower can really make a
difference. Your goal should be to work up to 30 minutes of aerobic
exercise when dieting at least 3 to 5 times a week, but it's fine to start out by
simply taking a few turns around the block before bed.
Dont beat yourself up
So you were going to have one cracker with cheese on it and the next
thing you know, the box is empty? Drink some water, brush your teeth and
move on. Everyone who's ever tried to lose weight has found it
challenging. When you slip up, the best idea is to get right back on
track and don't look back. Avoid telling yourself that you'll get back
on track tomorrow or next week or after New Year's. Start now.
Being healthy is really about being at the right weight for you. The
best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to
lose or gain weight is to talk to a health care provider or registered
dietitian, an dieting RD. Only set realistic goals.