Properly Identify Your Ideal Body Weight



You can arrive at a figure for your ideal body weight through a conversation with your doctor, nutritionist, or another health care professional. This objective analysis will help combat more unrealistic bodyweight images from TV, fashion magazines, and other media. Medical professionals can help you determine a healthy range for your weight; this will keep you from continually focusing on getting to some magic number.

Learn to Eat Smaller Portions

More than likely you know that to lose weight you must eat less. This is not a magic formula; for many it is simply hard to put into practice. Do you have any idea how to actually eat less? One of the best strategies is to focus your efforts on eating normal portion sizes. In the days of super-sized meals it is easy to remember that portion sized are often significantly smaller than what we put on our plates. While a quick internet search will reveal useful portion recommendations, here are some easy methods to ensure you do not eat too much.

One adult portion of carbohydrates is roughly equal to the size of your fist. A serving of protein is roughly the size of the palm of your hand. Obviously these are not exact amounts. But they provide a visual reminder for quick comparison. The hard part is choosing to limit yourself to a nice four ounce steak when you see a nice twelve ounce on the grill.

In general, eat as many fruit and vegetables as you want. But make sure you eat a variety and include several different types of fruits and veggies. You might try to eat your fruit and vegetable servings first in order to make sure they do not simply sit on your plate.

Fiber is Your Friend

Many different health-related problems can find a solution, or at least some benefit, from eating fiber. You should load up on foods high in fiber including whole grains, legumes, and of course fruits and vegetables. Legumes (think beans) are especially beneficial because they are a terrific protein source as well. They can be a delicious way to add protein to your diet while eliminating higher amounts of red meats.

Learn to Limit the Good Stuff

It can be a challenge to limit the foods that are high in fat. If you love foods like red meat, cheese, butter, pastries, and cake then you may really have to work to avoid these foods. Try making sure you always have a healthy snack available at all times. This will help you avoid the junk food that is so easily accessible from the local coffee shop, bakery, or vending machine.

Ditch Your Desk Job

At least three time a week make sure to find time to be physically active. If your job keeps you sedentary most of the time, you will need to work harder to make up for this lack of exercise. Some tips are to take a walking lunch, always take the stairs, and ride a bike to work. Remember to ensure your exercise is vigorous enough to maintain lean muscle mass. This will keep your metabolism going and provide continued benefits for hours after you are done exercising. Always check with your physician before beginning any new exercise program and remember you can usually get excellent results with basic exercises you learned in physical education class.

Simple and sensible, these tips will help you get on track removing those extra pounds.