As you grow older packing weight almost becomes inevitable when you continue eating the same types of food and maintain a less active lifestyle. Science also confirms that your metabolism slows down as you age. A good rule of thumb is to exercise more every time you eat more calories to maintain a healthy weight. Whether you want to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, dieting might not be the best option for you.
That’s because most diet plans require giving up certain foods to cut down on calories. Unless you’re willing to cut these foods for the rest of your life, this approach will not work in the long term. You’ll end up gaining more weight when you go back to your old eating habits. In this article, we explain a few ways you can maintain a healthy weight naturally.
Exercise
Regular physical activity is the surest way to keep your weight in check. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. You don’t have to exercise all at once. You can break it up to 30 minutes for five days. If you don’t have enough time to exercise, try to be as physically active as possible. Start with simple physical tasks like walking to work or your grocery store, using the stairs instead of the elevator, taking your dog for a walk, and playing with your child or grandchildren.
Embrace fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables can be extremely healthy for anyone looking to maintain a healthy weight. You don’t have to boil or eat them raw. Find simple, tasty, and healthy ways of preparing your vegetables. You can find recipes on platforms such as Sunbasket to help improve your vegetable preparation skills. The goal is to get the minerals and vitamins. Fruits and vegetables are rich in water and fiber content that helps keep your weight in check.
Move
To maintain a healthy weight, you need to start moving more. Stand and walk more to build muscles and burn calories. If you sit for long hours watching TV or working on your computer, you’re likely to pack more weight due to inactiveness. According to the National Weight Control Registry Survey, people who watch TV less than 10 hours a week are more successful at losing weight than those who spend more time sitting in front of a screen.
Reduce portion size
Instead of skipping your favorite foods in the name of a diet plan, reduce portion size and take time to exercise, and burn extra calories. Some foods have higher caloric content than others which makes it necessary to count your calories before preparing a meal. When eating at the restaurant, you can divide your plate into two and eat the rest when you get home.
Invest in healthy snacks
Maintaining a healthy weight naturally doesn’t mean sticking to vegetables all the time. You can take snacks and healthy snacks. Be more mindful about your snacking habits and know which snacks work best for you and which ones to skip. Healthy snacks should meet your nutritional needs and not contain excess sugar, fat, or salt. Some of the best snack options to go for include fruits such as strawberries and blueberries, nuts, and low-fat yogurts.
Drink water
Water is the best gift you can give to your body. Staying hydrated means keeping all your body’s processes running smoothly, which provides a wealth of health benefits. Drinking water before meals also reduces the amount of food you eat. When you drink more water, you dilute sugary drinks in your system, flush out toxins, enhance your metabolism, and promote weight loss.
Get adequate sleep
The link between lack of sleep and obesity led to a discovery that sleep promotes weight loss. According to research, up to 55 % of sleep-deprived people are likely to be obese. This is due to the fluctuations in activity, appetite, hormones, and other physical changes associated with sleep deprivation.
