15 Tips on How to Control Your Weight ...

A lot of us find it confusing, what exactly we’re supposed to eat, and how much. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has put together a great interactive website at mypyramid.gov that will tell you what you’re supposed to eat every day, and what to avoid. The site will help you tailor a program just for you, along with meal planners and other helpful tools to help you control your weight.

Counting calories is a great way to help you see where you can cut out the extras that make it harder to control your weight.

This kind of goes hand in hand with the calorie-counting. Remember, one gram of fat equals nine calories. To help put that in perspective, one gram of protein or one gram of carbs in only FOUR calories.

Exercise is key to controlling your weight! There are lots of easy ways to work exercise into your routine, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and going for a walk each night after dinner.

You’ll be tempted to go back to your old eating and non-exercising habits, especially the first few weeks, but it will get easier, especially once you start seeing the results!

Controlling your weight is not about giving up everything you love to eat. You can still have the foods and drinks you love, just in moderation.

It’s always a great idea to have a friend or two to support you, or better yet, to be dieting or exercising with you. You can encourage eachother, and keep eachother motivated when it gets tough!

Before you start any sort of diet or exercise regimen, consult your doctor to make sure you’re healthy enough first.

Adults are supposed to get 64 ounces of water each day. That’s eight of the small glasses, or four of the large glasses. Drinking water will give you a healthy glow, and help you control your weight!

Chances are, you’ll carry your extra weight in the same place as your mother. Is she heavy in the tummy or hips? You might be later on, too. So start focusing on those areas now!

It’s not just your mother. Genetically, you may have a tendency to gain or lose weight easier than most.

There are low-fat versions of almost every prepared foot on the market. They clutter the shelves at grocery stores. But are they really low-fat? In most cases, the answer is NO. Scientists have shown that a lot of the food that’s labeled as low-fat actually is not.

Learn how to read labels on the foods you eat. You’ll see that anything that comes in a can or a box (like Hamburger Helper or Chef Boyardee or even Campbell’s) is NOT GOOD FOR YOU and will sabotage your weight control plans. To keep it tasting fresh on the shelf for so long, it’s loaded with fat and sodium. Yuck!

Fast foods are also dangerous when you’re trying to control your weight. Even Subway can be loaded with calories and fat, so be careful!

Pounds aren’t the only thing you need to be paying attention to when you’re trying to control your weight. Don’t weight yourself every day. Aim for once every two weeks, so you don’t get discouraged.

See? It’s not so confusing. These are very simple ways to control your weight and to live a healthier lifestyle in general.

Ladies, how do you keep fit and control your weight? Do you have some ideas or tips to share?

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