menu
Expert Word
Welcome to the stickK Expert Word
Keeping your resolutions and making smart choices to lose weight
By Kathy B. Glazer   View more articles by this author
  Add a Comment    |    Bookmark and Share
September 28

If you are like most people you have probably long since given up on your New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and exercise more.  Well you don’t have to abandon hope. Here are some strategies to help you make some healthy changes for the long term even if that New Year’s resolution has slipped by.
    
The problem begins when you first fix on a New Years’ resolution which requires drastic changes to your diet, lifestyle or daily routine. At the beginning of the year people make unrealistic goals to lose lots of weight or keep up with an impossible work-out schedule—goals that are simply unsustainable.  Instead you should focus on developing S.M.A.R.T. choices that are achievable throughout the year. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for the following elements of successful weight loss and exercise goals:

 

S -- Start with Small and Specific goals
M -- Make sure they are Measurable
A -- Ensure that they are Achievable and
R -- Realistic
T -- Make sure to Track your daily food intake and physical activity

 

Let’s explore each of these in more detail:

 

Start with small changes such as “I will focus on reducing my portion sizes” or “I will increase my vegetable and fruit consumption by one serving each day.”  Be specific as to what you want to change.  To make your goals measurable, add some detail, instead of “Exercise More” make your goal: “I’ll walk for exercise 2-3 times a week for thirty minutes or 2 fifteen minute segments.”  Do not make your goal so hard that you cannot sustain it. You need to start out small and increase your goals slowly. Make your goal something that you can repeatedly achieve. For example if you thing you can’t realistically work out 5-6 days a week for 1 hour at  a time, start with two times a week for 30 minutes. Some activity is better than none.  Don’t think all or nothing.

 

Another key is to be realistic on how much you can change at one time. If you think you can change your diet, increase your exercise and change a behavior all at once you may simply set yourself up to fail.  Keep a food record and exercise log to track how much you eat and how much you exercise. From these logs you can start to see a pattern concerning what drives your food cravings and therefore become more aware of your eating habits throughout the day. No more mindless eating in front of the TV. Research shows that keeping a food record can help you lose more weight than people that don’t keep records.  By the same token your exercise log can help you keep track of your progress (e.g., how many repetitions you do with your free weights) so you can set and meet reasonable exercise goals.

 

Here are some other suggestions to help you keep on track with your goals.

 

  1. Go slow. Make diet changes slowly. You will be more likely to hold to these changes and make them a part of your life style. For example add a piece of produce to your lunch daily. Have a fish meal at least once a week, or consider a meat-less meal once a week.
  2. Water. Drink a glass of water before you brush your teeth each morning. Drink an 8 oz. glass of water or more at each meal. Cut out regular soda which adds lots of empty calories (12 oz. coke= 145 calories). If you drink 2-3 cans of regular soda a day you can lose up to one pound a week by cutting it out of your diet. Resolve to drink one more cup of water than you did the day before. Add some lemon or lime juice to your water to spice it up.
  3. Increase your physical activity. Walk part of the way to work or to the store. Walk further to your car of get off a bus one stop early to walk more. Take stairs vs. the elevator. Walk up and down escalator stairs. Park your car further away from the building.
  4. Keep track of your food intake. Avoid mindless eating while reading, watching TV or doing computer work. Plan snacks to avoid excessive hunger and therefore, over-eating or binging due to extreme hunger.
  5. Limit added fats. Limiting fats can decrease your calorie intake and therefore help lose weight.  Salad dressing should be low in fat and only use 1-2 tablespoons. Monitor how much butter, margarine, or oil you use. Try to limit your use to 1-2 tablespoons at each meal (depending on your calorie limit).  Try baked potato chips vs. fried.  To decrease fat content.
  6. Avoid or limit alcohol. These calories add up fast. One glass of wine or beer adds an extra 150 calorie (mixed drinks may be more). Consider limiting your intake to one glass or less a week. Alcohol has lots of empty calories with no nutritional value.
  7. Add a rainbow of color of produce in your shopping cart. Buy items like red peppers, yellow squash, and purple eggplant. Most people do not eat enough fruits and vegetable. Think of these as natures’ little power house of disease fighting plant compounds that work to keep you healthy and to help you live longer.
  8. Go for whole grains. Include fiber by eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seed. You should strive for 25-35 grams of fiber a day. Fiber will help fill you up, keep you regular, and naturally supply vitamins and minerals to your diet.

 

Use these tips to change your habits and behaviors slowly for weight loss success. Remember when making goals to make S.M.A.R.T. choices. For more personalized advice seek out a Registered Dietitian in your area by consulting the American Dietetic Association website www.eatright.org

  Add a Comment    |    Bookmark and Share

Comments

Post Message
John0090
John0090
August 11, 2023, 1:50:54 PM GMT
I never believe credit score can be increased or debts on credit cards can be cleared without trace, not until I met JEFFCLOUD CREDIT SOLUTION. He helped me increase my credit score to 789 excellent score and also helped in clearing of my credit card debts. He is the best and reliable source for every credit related issues. Contact him at JEFFCLOUDCREDITSOLUT [email protected]
JAY DORIS249
JAY_DORIS249
July 13, 2023, 11:37:51 PM GMT
HOPEFULLY THIS REVIEW SAVES SOMEONE OUT THERE!!!

Am here to testify about the handwork of A Great Verified Hacker ( Mr Morris Gray )Who helped me recover back my lost funds from the hands of scammers who Ripped me off my money and made me helpless, I could not afford to pay my bills after the whole incident, But a friend of mine helped me out by given me the contact info of trusted Recovery Expert, his email: Morris gray 830 @ gmail . com contact him or chat him up on (+1- /607-69 )8-0239 ) and he will help you recover your lost funds If you have been a victim of any binary/ cryptocurrency or online scam, Mobile spy, Mobile Hack contact this Trusted and Verified hacker, He is highly recommendable and was efficient in getting my lost funds back, 11btc of my lost funds was refunded back with his help, He is the Best in Hacking jobs, contact him ( MORRIS GRAY 830 AT) GMAIL (DOT) COM.
JasmineTom
JasmineTom
June 13, 2023, 8:54:21 AM GMT
BITCOIN RECOVERY IS REAL!!!

( MorrisGray830 At gmail Dot Com, is the man for the job )
This man is dedicated to his work and you can trust him more than yourself. I contacted him a year and a half Ago and he didn't succeed. when i got ripped of $491,000 worth of bitcoins by scammers, I tried several recovery programs with no success too. I kept on. And now after so much time Mr Morris Gray contacted me with a success, and the reward he took was small because obviously he is doing this because he wants to help idiots like me who fell for crypto scam, and love his job. Of course he could have taken all the coins and not tell me , I was not syncing this wallet for a year, but he didn't.
He is the MAN guys , He is! If you have been a victim of crypto scam before you can trust Morris Gray 10000000%. I thought there were no such good genuine guys anymore on earth, but Mr Morris Gray brought my trust to humanity again. GOD bless you sir...you can reach him via ( MORRIS GRAY 830 at Gmaill dot com ) or Whatsapp +1 (607)698-0239......
Jonathan854
Jonathan854
March 16, 2023, 4:14:42 AM GMT
A key aspect of your financial life is your credit score. Higher credit scores increase your chances of being approved for loans and credit cards with the best terms, which will save you a lot of money and hassle. You're not alone if your credit score isn't where you want it to be. Of course, there are actions you can do to raise your credit score, such as making on-time payments on your bills and clearing previous debts. But due to the current economic conditions throughout the world, raising your credit score by making on-time payments on your bills and paying off existing debts may take an eternity. If you're determined to put an end to the horror (bad credit score), then I strongly recommend Metronet Credit Solution. They’re reliable, fast and secured, they helped me raise my credit score to excellent from the initial poor score. They’re available on Whats-app: +16265140620 and Email: metronetcreditsoluti [email protected]

stickK Expert Word

   Career
   Diet & Healthy Eating
   Education & Knowledge
   Exercise & Fitness
   Family & Relationships
   Green Initiatives
   Health & Lifestyle
   Money & Finance
   Sports, Hobbies & Recreation
   Weight Loss
Your feedback has been sent. Thank you!
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Read our Privacy Policy