Healthy Weight Tips from Prevent Cancer (Infographic)

Losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight doesn’t only help with attracting the opposite sex or increasing your confidence. Sure there are perks but, of even more importance is, boosting your overall health while decreasing your risk for serious diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The infographic below illustrates some simple changes you can make in your life to help either lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

Healthy Weight Tips

1. Increase Daily Activity. Move more, sit less to maintain a healthier weight. Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per day. Additionally, make sure you take hourly breaks to stretch your legs and increase circulation if you sit behind a desk all day. For optimal results, combine cardiovascular workouts with muscle strengthening.
2. Turn Off the TV. Did you know that the risk of obesity increases by 25% for every 2 hours of tv that is viewed daily? Limit your daily tv consumption to no more than 2 hours per day. If it’s hard to break your tv habit, then start a new habit where you do exercises during the program or during the commercials. For instance, instead of remaining motionless on your favorite chair, do squats, lunges, push-ups or crunches to burn some extra calories.
3. Keep a Log. Numerous studies have proven that keeping a food journal helps you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Food journals help keep you accountable for the amount of food you’ve had throughout the day. Keep track of both food and drinks throughout the day including portion sizes.
4. Skip Sugary Drinks. Do you know how many calories you consume daily from beverages? Odds are, it’s more than you think. reduce overall caloric intake by skipping the sugar-laden drinks. These drinks offer no nutritional value and odds are they are contributing to a decline in your health. Switch to water. And, if you need more flavor with your water, try adding lemon, cucumber or lime to your water for added flavor without added calories.
5. Eat Moderately. Control your food portions by placing food on smaller dishes to help limit the amount of food you consume. Combine this with a food journal to help you keep tabs on your eating habits throughout the day.
6. Sleep Right. Getting enough rest is essential to losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight. A lack of sleep tends to trigger cravings for carbohydrates and not the kind that you get from the produce aisle in your grocery store. Aim for an average of 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
7. Slow & Steady Wins the Race. Unrealistic weight loss goals can lead to diet program abandonment. Be patient, set realistic goals, and don’t jump ship if you have a bad day. Success comes from creating an overall lifestyle change rather than a temporary diet plan. Prepare for mishaps and get back on-board as soon as you can.

For more information related to this infographic, visit preventcancer.org.

For more information on how you can successfully lose weight, contact Calla Slimspa Medical Weight Loss Center located in Winter Park.