Finding a Healthy Balance
How to Make Everything Work Together
Getting fit and feeling great is more than just losing weight. It involves planning meals that are nutritious and lower in calories, buying the right foods to begin with, participating in physical activity, and monitoring your weight on a weekly basis so you can track your overall progress.
Get Organized!
- Buying the right food to meet your goals for healthy eating and weight loss is important. When the right food is on hand, preparing healthy meals and on-the-go snacks is much easier.
- Create an exercise plan. Contact a friend who has similar goals, make activity dates for yourselves, and motivate each other to stick to your schedule.
- Bring food with you to work. Fruits, vegetables, and cubed turkey are great easy-to-carry and easy-to-eat snacks. Buy plastic bags or containers that can easily be tossed into your purse, briefcase, or gym bag for the quick snack you crave around 10 a.m. or 3 p.m. Also, remember to refrigerate your snack if needed.
- Plan ahead and know when you’ll be eating out or away from your home—and keep the concept of portion size in mind. Many foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle when eaten in the correct amount. When you’re going to a restaurant, check the menu beforehand (many are online now) to plan accordingly. If you’re traveling, carry small, healthy snacks with you.
- Food diaries are helpful to overall healthy-eating awareness. Recording what you eat lets you track your eating patterns. And, when you start to lose weight, you’ll have an accurate record of what worked. You can you also record your physical activity to see how diet and exercise work together to help you meet your health and fitness goals.