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Simple
Ways To Cut
Back...
Be aware of
what you
drink
It's amazing
how many extra
calories are in
sodas, juices
and other
drinks. Cutting
out soda
completely can
save you 360
calories or
more each day.
Avoid diet soda
too, the
artificial
sweeteners tend
to make some
people hungry.
Drink a lot of
water.
Switching from
whole to nonfat
or low-fat
milk, soy milk
or other
sugar-free
beverages is
also a good
idea.
Move
your
body
You may find
that you don't
need to give up
calories as
much as you
need to get off
your behind.
Try a variety
of activities,
such as hiking,
cycling or
rowing until
you find ones
you like. Even
the smallest
lifestyle
changes like
walking to
school or
jogging up and
down the stairs
a couple of
times before
your morning
shower can
really make a
difference.
Your goal
should be to
work up to 30
minutes of
aerobic
exercise at
least 3 to 5
times a week,
but it's fine
to start out by
simply taking a
few turns
around the
block before
bed.
Start
small
Drastic
changes are
much harder to
stick with than
small changes.
Try reducing
the size of the
portions you
eat and giving
up regular soda
for a week.
Once you have
that down,
start gradually
introducing
healthier foods
and exercise
into your
life.
Stop
eating when
you're
full
Lots of
teens eat when
they're bored,
lonely or
stressed, or
keep eating
long after
they're full
simply out of
habit. It takes
about 20
minutes for
your brain to
recognize how
much is in your
stomach, so if
you slow down
it will prevent
you from eating
more than you
need. Take a
break before
refilling your
plate for
seconds, and
avoid eating
when you feel
upset or
bored.
Eat less
more
often
Many people
find that
eating a couple
of small snacks
throughout the
day helps them
to make healthy
choices at
meals. Stick a
couple of
healthy snacks
(carrot sticks,
a low fat
granola bar,
pretzels or a
piece of fruit)
in your
backpack so
that you can
have one or two
snacks during
the day. Adding
healthy snacks
to your three
squares and
eating smaller
portions when
you sit down to
dinner can help
you cut
calories
without feeling
deprived.
Five a day
keeps the
pounds away
Trash the
junk food and
buy lots of
fruits and
vegetables!
Avoid
fad or
prepackaged
diets
If we were
meant to eat
from cans,
they'd grow on
trees. It's
never a good
idea to trade
meals for
shakes or to
give up a food
group in the
hope that
you'll lose
weight. We all
need a variety
of foods to
stay healthy.
Avoid diet
pills (even the
over-the-counter
or herbal
variety) unless
your doctor
prescribes
them.
Don't
banish certain
foods
Don't tell
yourself you'll
"never" eat
your absolute
favorite peanut
butter
chocolate ice
cream or a bag
of potato
chips. Making
these foods
forbidden is
sure to make
you want them
even more.
Besides, you
need to have
some fat in
your diet to
stay healthy,
so giving up
all fatty foods
all the time
isn't a good
idea anyway.
The key to
long-term
success is
making healthy
choices most of
the time. If
you want a
piece of cake
at a party, go
for it! But
munch on the
carrots rather
than the chips
to balance it
out later in
the
evening.
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