How to Maintain your Weight
January 27, 2007 - Chandana Banerjee
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You’ve eaten healthy food, cut down on extra fat and exercised regularly to shed those extra pounds. And this does call for a celebration. But after the initial euphoria, you need to put in effort to maintain your weight. So how do you keep your weight in check?
Apart from the golden rule of ‘exercise and eat a diet high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and low-fat dairy products’, you need to do the following.
You must eat only when you’re hungry – don’t munch on chips and wafers just because you feel like munching. When you are eating at home, take smaller portions than usual and go back for more if you are still hungry. If you are eating out, ask for a to-go box at the beginning of the meal and put half of the food in the box before you begin eating. If you feel like having a creamy, chocolaty pastry, share it with a friend or just have half of it.
When you are snacking, don’t eat from a large container because you will loose count of how much you have eaten. Instead, remove a small amount and put the container away. Have your meals at home because home-cooked food is lower in calories than restaurant food. It’s not a good idea to eat in front f the television because you may eat more while watching a television program.
Eat smaller but more-frequent meals to avoid becoming ravenous between meals, which can lead to eating too much too fast. Try to have at least one non-starchy fruit or vegetable in every meal or snack. Pick whole grains over refined grains because whole grains are more nutritious.
It’s a good idea to avoid beverages with empty calories and blended, sweetened coffee. Lastly, get plenty of sleep because studies show that loss of sleep increases the levels of hormones such as cortisol and insulin, which promotes fat storage.
Following these simple rules may help you maintain your weight.
