Celebrate Healthy Weight Week!

In honor of Healthy Weight Week, I wanted to discuss some of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight. If you have lost weight and want to keep it off or working to prevent age-related weight gain, etc then this post is for you!

Increase your daily fiber intake

Fiber provides bulk and slows digestion, allowing you to feel full longer than when you consume low fiber foods. In addition, fiber is not digested, therefore providing no caloric value. When you eat a high fiber food, you feel full longer while decreasing your caloric intake, resulting in weight loss. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are good sources of fiber. Aim for 25-30 grams of fiber every day.

Eat your veggies!

With about only 25 calories per serving, non-starchy vegetables are a great way to fill up without filling out. Add them to meals or eat them as snacks. However you do it, aim for at least four servings per day.

Drink more water

Our body needs at least 64 ounces of fluid a day to stay hydrated. If we become dehydrated, our metabolism can slow down, making weight loss a difficult feat. Drinking water is also a calorie free way of filling your stomach, allowing you to eat less and lose weight. Try drinking an 8-ounce glass of water before each meal and snack.

Eat small frequent meals

Eating small meals and snacks every few hours helps to keep your metabolism at its peak as well as prevent excessive hunger. When we allow ourselves to get too hungry, it usually leads to overeating later on. Plan regularly scheduled meals and snacks throughout the day.

Get active!

Daily activity is vital to maintaining a healthy weight. Both aerobic and resistance training are important to weight loss success. During aerobic activity our body’s energy requirement is elevated leading to burning excess calories and fat mass. Resistance training increases our muscle mass, which is our metabolically active tissue. The more muscle mass we have, the higher our metabolism will be. The more muscle you build, the easier it will be to maintain a lower body weight.

Choose nutrient dense over calorically dense foods

Choose foods that are lower in calories and higher in vitamins and minerals over foods that have many calories and little or no nutrients. This will allow you to eat larger portions letting you feel more satisfied while decreasing your overall caloric intake. For example, what would satisfy you more, 3 cups of air popped popcorn or 4 oz of fruit juice? Both have approximately 100 calories yet only one leaves you feeling full, the other leaves you craving more. Identify foods and drinks that you can replace with lower calorie substitutions.

What steps do you take to help you stay at a healthy weight?