Friday, May 23, 2008

Health Tips for May 23

Health Tip: Keeping Off the Weight

Losing weight is a challenge, but keeping it off can even more difficult without a good plan and healthy habits.

Here are suggestions to help you keep the weight off that you've worked so hard to lose, courtesy of the American Heart Association:

* Understand what works best for you -- such as what rewards best motivate you, what tempts you most, and what helps you resist those temptations.
* Be realistic about how much weight you should lose.
* Maintain a good balance of calories taken in versus calories burned.
* Get enough exercise. Even a brisk daily walk can help you keep those pounds off.
* Keep notes and records of your food intake and daily activity.
* Plan your meals, and make healthy food choices at the grocery.
* Don't weigh yourself more than once a week.
* Plan ahead for holidays, special occasions, and other times when you may be likely to splurge and take in additional calories.

Health Tip: Eat Healthy When You Eat Out

When it's time to eat out, you may think it's too difficult to stick to a diet or to watch those calories.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which offers these eating-out tips, begs to differ:

* Order water, skim milk, unsweetened tea, or other drinks low in sugar and calories.
* Order a small salad as an appetizer, which will help fill you up before the main meal.
* Order salad dressings and other fattening sauces on the side.
* Order entrees that include vegetables.
* Order dishes that are steamed, baked or broiled, not fried.
* Order a small or medium-sized portion -- or even a children's meal -- instead of a regular adult portion.
* Order something from the menu, instead of visiting the all-you-can eat buffet.

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