Eight Simple Ways To Watch Your Weight

by Jim Evans

Try these healthy hints to help you control your weight without a lot of inconvenience to normal everyday activities.
 
Walk While You Talk
Instead of sitting around after a meal, get up and walk. You don’t have to be a party pooper and leave any company behind – invite them to walk with you. A brisk walk around the block will be invigorating, and you can continue your conversation with any company along the way.
 
Drink Lots of Water
Don’t just sip on your water bottle during the course of the day. Drink a full 8-oz glass of water when you first get up in the morning, before every meal, before every snack (but ask yourself WHY you are snacking), and before you go to bed at night. Another little trick is to take a drink of water between every bite of food. All of this will help you to eat less and improve digestion too.
 
Eat Smaller Portions
First, serve yourself smaller portions – you can always go back for another serving if you are really that hungry – and cut the servings into several smaller pieces. Of course, this is a psychological ploy to fool your brain into thinking you are eating more than you really are, but it DOES work because generally you will eat less if you eat smaller portions. Eat more slowly, too, instead of trying to wolf your food down as if there was no tomorrow – what’s the hurry, anyway? Enjoy!
 
Always Eat Breakfast
Studies indicate that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight. But you don’t FEEL like eating breakfast, you say? Do it anyway. Start small with something like a glass of orange juice and a bagel, but eat something. Gradually increase your consumption until you are eating a full, healthy breakfast. If you don’t eat breakfast, you are forcing your body into a self-preservation mode, so that when you DO finally eat, it stores more fat. The main reason why many people don’t eat breakfast is simply because they are always in too much of a hurry and have gotten out of the habit. Remember, you probably ate breakfast every morning as a youngster. What happened?
 
Walk In Place
Most people watch a lot of television while sitting around like couch potatoes. You don’t have to sacrifice your favorite television programs to exercise. How? Just stand up during every commercial and walk in place in the middle of the room. It might sound stupid, but just think about how many commercials appear on each program. You can log a lot of miles and burn a lot of calories without even leaving the house. Think you might feel embarrassed in front of family and friends? That’s THEIR problem, not yours, and you might be pleasantly surprised when they join you (it might be fun for the kids, too).
 
Stand Up and Suck It In
It sounds simple because it IS simple. Many people walk around slouched over, shuffling along dragging their feet with absolutely no sense of energy. Make a concentrated effort to stand up straight, throw your shoulders back, hold your chest high, suck in your tummy and walk with purpose. It takes a little more effort in the beginning, but after a while it will become a habit.
 
Climb Stairs the “Right” Way
You probably didn’t know there was a right way and a wrong way to climb stairs, did you? Typically you just put one foot on the step in front of you, lean forward on your toes, and lift the other foot off the ground to advance to the next step. WRONG! You will probably have knee problems if you continue climbing stairs this way. Instead, stand up straight and push off of your instep – NOT your toes – using the larger hip and thigh muscles to lift you to the next level. As these muscles become more accustomed to being used, they will become stronger and more supportive, and it will be much easier for you to climb stairs. Skip the elevator, and climb the stairs whenever you can.

Try Circuit Training
Circuit training is more effective in burning up calories and reducing body fat than almost any other form of physical activity. It is a total body workout that stimulates the cardiovascular system while firming and toning muscles at the same time. The best part is that it only takes about 20 minutes! It’s quick, and it’s easy.


Jim Evans is a 38-year veteran of the health and fitness industry. He has been published in magazines such as Iron Man, Strength & Health, and Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness, to name a few. He was a pioneer in the natural bodybuilding movement. He founded the North American Natural Bodybuilding Association (NANBA) and ran it from 1984 to 1990. He can be reached at pacsd@aol.com. The NANBA was one of the earlier drug-free bodybuilding federations to operate in the United States. It’s currently known as the North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation (NANBF), the name it was changed to in 1994.