Obesity problems have become prevalent in our society. With 17% of 6 to 19-year-olds being obese in America today, it is clear that tackling some common obesity problems early on is becoming more and more necessary. Though it is not easy to make lifestyle changes that promote weight loss, the alternative is even more difficult with a lifetime of health problems stemming from being overweight.
Here are some simple steps you can take to solve some of the common obesity problems in your life.
Start with Small Changes
Begin by making some modifications to your diet. Do not go on a crash diet or fad diet, as these things tend to lead to rebound eating. You will need to change the way to eat in order to sustain long term weight loss. Begin by decreasing your daily caloric intake by 300 to 500 calories. Stick with that for a month, and then cut your intake by another 300 to 500 calories until you reach a healthy amount of calories eaten everyday. This will vary depending on your body, gender and activity level, but you should end up somewhere between 1800 and 2500 calories. This may take several months to achieve, but doing it slowly is the best way to allow your body to adjust.
Assess Your Diet
Take a look at the USDA Food Pyramid, and determine what you could add or take out of your diet to meet these requirements for healthy eating. Make an effort to plan out your meals so that you are eating a wide variety of whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats. Use some of the USDA's meal planning techniques or sample meals to craft a plan that works for you (to eat more balanced and healthy meals). Like with caloric intake, start small. You may want to cut out certain junk foods one month, and then add soda the following month. Do what works for you to achieve your goals and not shock your body.
Keep Track of Your Food
Keep a food journal written in a notebook. Track everything that you eat, noting such things as whether you felt full, your state of mind, feelings about your weight loss and your goals. Keep this with you all the time so that you can accurately record how your progress is going. You can also use this notebook to plan your meals and keep track of highs and lows in your campaign to lose weight. By keeping a written record, you are more likely to hold yourself accountable, recognize if there are some triggers behind your eating and work through your problems with food.
Get Moving
The key to stopping obesity in its tracks is to eliminate a sedentary lifestyle. Start small and work your way up to being more active. Begin with walking around your block or up the stairs at work, and work your way up to higher impact physical activity. Find something you are interested in such as biking or playing a sport and do it on a regular basis. There are numerous low impact classes available at community centers, colleges and gyms that may be of interest to you. Explore the options, find something that suits you and get to moving around to promote your weight loss.
By taking these steps, you can take control of your weight problem and live the healthy life you have wanted to. Take it one day at a time and work towards your goals. You can improve your quality of life and help to prevent many avoidable diseases that are brought on by obesity.
