How to Keep your Weight in Check

In a nutshell, our body weight/size is a reflection of the degree of balance or imbalance in the following…

ENERGY IN  versus  ENERGY OUT

ENERGY IN is represented by all that we eat & drink & ENERGY OUT by that which we do

• If the IN & OUT sides are relatively equal to each other, then we’ll tend to maintain our weight
• If the IN side of the scale is heavier – this will show up as weight gain on our body as the unused food energy is converted to fat for storage
• If the OUT side of the scale is heavier, then we tend to lose body weight as our body calls upon it’s reserves to meet it’s energy demands

So it’s all about keeping the scales balanced in the way best suits you.

TIPS TO TIP THOSE SCALES…..ENERGY IN

• Fat in your food begets fat on your body more readily than any other nutrient, so keep the intake LOW.
• While we do need fat in our diet for healthy living, we usually consume beyond that need. Begin substituting high fat foods for lower fat options or substitutes, eg, consider light yoghurt in place of sour cream or light milk versus full cream milk or rice crackers versus chips, for instance.
• Begin reading food labels. Select foods that show a less than 10 grams of fat component per 100 grams - that means less than 10% of it will be fat
• Look to reduce your overall food intake as even with good food choices, if you eat enough volume and don’t use it, your body will store it as fat.
• Develop a kitty of low fat snacks and plan to keep them at hand. It’s when snacking that we often end up going for the high fat convenience nibblies.
• Eat slowly. This is not only great for your digestion but also means you usually eat less than when you try to break records. Aim to chew each mouthful 20 or more times.
• When you feel hungry, start by taking a few deep belly breaths and drinking a glass of fresh water. Notice if you still feel hungry. Often, our body will confuse its need for more oxygen or water with a hunger signal and if we respond each time, we may be eating more than we need.
• Consult a dietician to establish your specific energy requirements and nutrient needs. This will take into account your activity levels and stage of life etc

TIPS TO TIP THOSE SCALES…..ENERGY OUT

• Increase your incidental movement throughout each day as it all adds up. This means taking the stairs instead of the lift or escalator. If you do take the escalator – walk up it! Park your car further rather than closer and walk the extra distance, get up to change the TV channel etc
• Look to schedule some ‘planned’ activity a few times each week to deliberately condition your body to be fitter and stronger. Ensure that you are mildly puffed but can still whistle or maintain conversation. This ensures you are training at a level that utilizes your body fat for energy.
• Don’t overdress. Overheating makes you sluggish and slow. By remaining slightly cooler, your body has to do more work to keep you warm and as such uses more energy.
• Start grazing. Eat several times a day versus 2 or 3 big meals. Break up your main meals with some healthy low fat snacks so that you are eating every few hours. Think of it as keeping the internal fire stoked, that is, keeping your metabolic rate a little higher and thereby using more energy again. Also, regular eating means you avoid that point of starvation where even the table legs begin to look good. When we are ravenous, we are far less selective about the fat or volume of food we’re consuming.
• Recruit the support of a personal coach or trainer to help you with your specific weight-related goals.

Of course there will be individual variables especially where one’s body may not be functioning entirely normally as per a metabolic condition of some kind, for instance. Also, various medications can impact one’s weight gain or loss. However, for this article, we’re assuming a normal set of circumstances.

KEEPING THE BALANCE

You don’t have to give up all of those nice little tempters in life – just look to trade them off. If you know you have a party coming up and you see a little more of an indulgence coming on, trade the additional intake by stepping up your regular activity to utilize the additional energy.

When we impose strict rules around our food and drink, we very soon want to break free from it as our psychological battle ensues. This is in part why diets so frequently fail. It’s much more balanced and moderated if we can enjoy the process but be aware of our choices and look to actively counter them with strategies that support us in living healthfully and enjoyably.

Help your scales keep a balance by doing more to ensure that extra energy goes to something other than storage.

‘Every man is a builder of a Temple called his body…’ HENRY THOREAU