Susan M. Morgan, CFCS
County Extension Agent
Family and Consumer Education
Bolivia, NC 28422
January 2001

Riding the diet roller coaster is one of the least effective ways to manage your weight. Severely restricting your food intake often leads to overeating and regaining lost weight. The key to lifetime weight control is to enjoy an active life style- day in and day out. All you have to do is make healthy choices so you can do all the things you want to do. These include:

• Tasty, healthy meals and snacks
• Enjoyable, regular physical activity
• A positive, relaxed attitude

1. Be realistic about your goals. Model perfect bodies are not an option for most of us. Striving for the unattainable can be discouraging, frustrating and futile. You can reap major health benefits by losing 10 pounds and keeping them off or from just stabilizing your weight. Slow and steady is the way to win the weight battle. So-called miracle diet products are usually a waste of money and some may even be dangerous.
2. Be consistent with your changes. Make small changes in what you eat and your level of activity. Small steps work better than giant leaps. Take a quick inventory of your current eating habits and activity patterns. Look for places where small improvements can make a big difference. For example, if you're a breakfast skipper, learn to enjoy the benefits of a morning meal. Jump-start your day with something quick and tasty - like a bowl of hot cereal or nonfat yogurt and fruit.
3. Be active in your daily routine. Small, consistent increases in physical activity can lead to big improvement in fitness and to a healthy weight. Many women feel that time is the biggest obstacle to exercise. If you're too busy to go to a gym for an hour, look for lots of little ways to fit activity into your day. You might park at the opposite end of the parking lot when you go to the store and walk to your destination. Aim for at least 30 minutes of daily activity in easy increments. Use the stairs whenever you can. Take a 10 minute walk during your work break.
4. Be adventurous with your food choices. Enhance your meals and snacks by including a wide variety of deliciously different tastes, textures, colors and smells. Eating more fruits and vegetables is one of the healthiest changes you can make. Most vegetables are fat-free, relatively low in calories and packed with fiber and other important nutrients. Getting five servings a day is as easy as a glass of juice in the morning, a banana for break, leafy salad at lunch, crunchy carrots as an afternoon snack and cooked vegetables with dinner.
5. Be flexible with your approach. Balance what you eat and the physical activity you do over several days. There's no need to worry about one meal or even one day. Going to a party? No problem! Eat a lighter breakfast and lunch to plan for some of that special party fare. Take a brisk 20 minute walk before or after any big meal. To balance the festive meals that often accompany celebrations or vacations, work in extra activities such as walking, biking or hiking.
6. Be positive with your attitude. "All or nothing" thinking is usually part of dieting. You are either strictly on your diet or you're blowing it. Take a positive approach means focusing on your accomplishments rather than on your failures. Recognize that mistakes are a natural part of change. Pat yourself on the back with non-food rewards for healthy choices. Some women like a pedicure, others enjoy an afternoon with a good book.
7. Be sensible with your knife and fork. Enjoy all foods, just don't overdo it. You can enjoy healthful, delicious eating without giving up your favorite foods. Listen carefully to your internal cues of hunger and fullness. It takes a least 20 minutes for your brain to get the "I am satisfied" signal from your stomach. Restaurant portions are often very large. Eat half in the restaurant and take the rest home to enjoy the next day!
8. Be creative to fit your fitness in. Get fit the fun way-by changing the "E" word from exercise to enjoyment. Find a variety of activities you love. Every bit of activity counts---like walking the dog, or dancing, biking, gardening, swimming and even playing frisbee! Make fitness a priority. Plan family and personal fitness. Invite a colleague to "do business" over a walk rather than lunch, coffee or drinks.
9. Be persistent in your changes. Forget instant results and magical thinking. Realize that lifetime weight control comes from small changes you make over and over again. Continue to make small changes such a switching to a lower- fat product, especially if you eat often. For example, choose a serving of nonfat chocolate yogurt instead of premium chocolate ice cream. Take time to plan meals and snacks for you and your family. Make great tasting, healthful eating a priority--even in the midst of a hectic schedule.
10. Be patient with yourself. It takes time to trade old habits for new ones. Set your long-term goals--but remember that it may take awhile to get there. Celebrate every step you take to maximize your health and energize your life. Recognize that achieving a healthy weight is a life-long, not an instant make- over. Remember that the path to success is paved with tasty foods, fun physical activities and a positive attitude. Enjoy yourself-you deserve it! Information for this article is from Nutrition Update Vol. VIII, Issue II, Fall/Winter 1998

Susan Morgan is Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Education for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Brunswick County. For more information or questions, contact Susan at 253-2610 or P. O. Box 109, Bolivia, NC 28422.

Please e-mail Susan Morgan, CFCS, County Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Education for further information or assistance.

The information presented is for educational purposes only. References to trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service is implied.

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Date Created 2/5/2001