Manage Your Weight the Healthy Way

If dropping a few pounds is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, a long-term program of sensible eating and exercise may not be a fad at the moment, but it’s still the best method around.

Clean your plate

A healthy eating plan for weight loss combines fewer calories with more nutrition, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

You can achieve both with a diet that:

Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
Limits saturated fats, trans fat, salt, and added sugar.
Controls portion sizes.

A trick that works for many people: Keep a record of everything you eat. It may help you spot problem areas in your diet.

Get active

Exercise is good for you in so many ways. It helps you manage your weight by burning calories. It also:

Lowers your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
Improves your sleep.
Strengthens your lungs and muscles.

Most adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity throughout the week. However, to lose or maintain weight loss, you may need to do more. Talk with your doctor if you have questions about how much activity is right for you.

Wonderful winter workouts—indoors!

Looking for ways to burn a few calories without going to a gym? Don’t let the cold weather outside be an excuse for not exercising. Here are four simple ideas for moving at home to stay active. Always consult your doctor before starting a new exercise.

Jump rope

Jumping rope is a low-cost, yet effective cardio workout if you want to burn fat-and the equipment is portable. A Simple 10-minute workout can burn over 100 calories.

Climb stairs

An easy exercise to do at home is climbing stairs. Walking up and down the stairs four to five time can help reduce body fat and burn calories. You can start slow at first and increase the speed later on.

Run in place

Jog or run in place for high-impact cardio. Be sure to start with a light warm-up jog and work your way to a faster speed. Move your arms and life your knees to get your heart pumping.

Pushups

This basic exercise engages your arms, back, and core. If pushups are new to you, practice achieving the correct form before focusing on increasing your number of pushups.

The skinny of weight-loss surgery

If you’ve tried everything and still can’t seem to lose the weight, you might wonder if weight-loss surgery is right for you. You and your doctor should discuss the pros and cons of each procedure. Also, know that surgery alone won’t get you to a healthy weight—or help you keep the pounds away. You’ll still have to exercise, follow healthy eating habits, and make lifelong changes.

For example, you will need to: