The Seven Things You Must Do To Maintain a Healthy Weight
Getting to a weight that’s right for you and staying there is key to your overall health and can help prevent many diseases. Maintaining a comfortable weight is not about dieting, it’s about adopting habits that will keep you on a path to lifelong wellness. Our Lean & Clean meal plan makes it easy to eat well. Here are a few other habits that can keep you on track for a healthier life.
1. Eat Real Food
Whole foods typically have fewer calories, sodium, fat, and sugar than their processed counterparts and more fiber and nutrition. Read the labels. When it comes to ingredients, less is more. If you see one you can’t pronounce, or if it sounds like it belongs in a chemistry class, take a pass.
2. Cook It Yourself
Home cooked meals are almost always healthier than food prepared in restaurants. If you feel uncertain of your cooking skills, meal kits like Sun Basket can help increase your confidence. Get your family involved in the process. Research shows that kids are more likely to eat the meals that they cook.
3. Hang Up and Eat
Computers, phones, and televisions make poor dining companions. Research has shown that people who dine in the company of their electronic devices are worse at remembering what they have eaten, and feel significantly hungrier afterward, compared to those who eat without distraction. Unplug and enjoy your meals with a human companion.
4. Make a Beverage Swap
Watch what you drink. Beverages can quickly add unwanted calories with little nutrition. Skip the sodas and try seltzer with a squeeze of citrus or infused with fresh fruit instead. Lemon iced tea makes a great substitute to sugar-laden lemonade. Instead of a blended coffee drink, drink iced coffee with coconut or almond milk flavored with cinnamon or vanilla.
5. Start the Day Right
A healthy breakfast can get your day going on the right nutritional note. Skipping meals saves calories in the short term, but can backfire when late morning hunger spurs you to take in even more calories. It can also result in fatigue, mental fogginess, and slow metabolism.
6. Get Moving
Exercise is just as essential for weight maintenance and good health as nutrition. Get outside and do something active. Go for a bike ride, play flag football, take the stairs, or just go for walk. Studies have found that people who exercise with others are more likely to stick to it for the long term. Check out our Bite-Size Workouts if you need some inspiration.
7. Don’t Cheat Sleep
A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that sleep-deprived subjects tended to do more late-night snacking and were more likely to choose high-carb snacks. They also found that sleeping too little prompts people to eat bigger portions of food, which can lead to weight gain. To make sure you’re getting adequate sleep, keep digital devices out of your bedroom and read a book instead. Also, make sure your environment is conducive to sleep. A dark, cool, and quiet room is ideal.
