Wellness Articles

Wellness Index

Food ranks right up there with the great sensual pleasures of life. But, for those of us who are trying to control our weight, our relationship with food all too often is a love-hate one. Sometimes we feel like "we can’t live with it, but we can’t live without it." The good news is that you can live happily with your favorite foods and still control your weight by making simple changes in the way you think about eating in general.

Why You Eat

If we only ate when we were truly hungry, chances are few of us would have weight problems. But we often eat when we’re bored, frustrated, lonely, sad, and so on. We may also eat to be polite we don’t want to "offend" our hostess, our mother — whomever. When we regularly use food as a substitute "solution" for the real problem at hand, weight gain almost always follows. Begin changing your relationship with food by asking yourself "Why do I want to eat?" Am I really hungry?" Be honest with yourself, and if you’re not really hungry, don’t eat.

How You Eat

Are you a snacker? Do you munch while watching TV? Sample while you cook? If so, you may be taking in far more calories than you realize. A cookie here and a bag of chips there can add up to excess weight. One way to avoid "automatic" eating is to agree to eat only while seated at a dining table — in your kitchen or dining room, or the lunchroom or cafeteria. You’ll eliminate unnecessary snacking and will probably only make the effort to eat when you’re really hungry.

What You Eat

You may still have weight problems if you don’t consider what you eat. When choosing food, remember that the main reason we need to eat is to supply our bodies with fuel for energy. Sugary snacks and refined, processed foods, are generally low in nutrients, high in calories, and fail to satisfy hunger for a significant length of time. For weight control and health, select complex carbohydrates (fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains) and low-fat foods such as lean meat, poultry without skin, fish, dried beans and peas (legumes) and low- or non-fat dairy products.

How You Burn Calories

Are you active? Do you exercise vigorously for at least 20 minutes three times a week? If so, you know the second half of the weight control story — burning calories through activity. In addition to exercising regularly, you can burn excess calories by sneaking in extra activity throughout your day — walking when possible, using the stairs instead of the elevator, and so on. Increasing your activity level increases the amount of calories you burn, and is a critical part of healthy weight control.

Weighing The Benefits

Once you’ve made some simple changes in your eating and exercise habits, you’ll be on your way to becoming a trimmer, fitter, healthier you. By changing the way you think about eating, and by becoming more active throughout your day, you can help yourself lose weight and keep it off for good.

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