- Exercise at least 30-60 minutes most days of the week. This can be divided into 10 minute segments. Exercise boosts your metabolism both during the activity, and for several hours after.
- Build your muscle mass with strength training exercises. Muscle is more metabolically active, so you will burn more calories.
- Get enough sleep. 7-8 hours is necessary for most people. When you sleep you develop good levels of Leptin, the hormone that helps to control appetite.
- Eat more frequently. When you eat small meals more frequently, your metabolic rate stays higher. The inverse—skipping meals—slows down your metabolism to conserve calories. Also, you have better control over what and how much you eat when you don’t get to the “starving stage”.
- Eat breakfast. Research shows that people who eat breakfast have better control over their weight.
- Use smaller bowls and plates. We eat with our eyes and tend to fill up larger plates.
- Dish up in the kitchen, not at the table, so getting seconds will take more effort.
- Fill your plate with vegetables and other high-fiber foods. These tend to be lower in calories and the fiber will help you to feel full.
- Keep high-calorie snacks behind closed doors so they are not within sight and easy reach. Better yet, keep these out of your home and office so you are not tempted!
- Eat slowly and mindfully. It takes 20 minutes for the message to get from your stomach to your brain to say “enough”. Stop eating when you are satisfied but before you get to the full stage.
- Be prepared with healthy and low calorie snacks so you have an alternative when the high calorie ones are offered.
- Have broth/vegetable based soups at the start of a meal. This has been shown to result in fewer calories consumed during the meal.
- Eat a smaller variety of foods/flavors at each meal or snack. This also has been shown to result in fewer calories eaten.
Taking care of your health is a lifelong journey. Begin by eating healthfully, exercising and being more active during the day, getting enough sleep, and managing your stress by taking one small step at a time. Each new healthy habit you adopt will enrich your health and your life, and hopefully will become a permanent part of your daily routine.