Small changes in diet and physical activity can lead you a healthy weight

For most people, excess body fat accumulates slowly over time. Consuming just an extra 50 calories a day, for example, will lead to a gain of approximately five pounds in one year. (Approximately 3500 excess calories will produce a weight gain of one pound, and a 3500-calorie deficit will produce a loss of one pound in body weight in many people.) Excess weight is rarely all gained over the course of a few weeks or months. Fat is put on slowly, and that’s the best way to take it off. Gradual losses in body fat do not require dramatic changes in diet or activity level. Only small changes in diet and activity are needed. By cutting back food intake by 100 calories per day, a person could lose 10 pounds in a year. So, how do you identify small and acceptable changes in your lifestyle? To identify changes in eating and activity that have staying power, first list the weak points in your diet and activity. Dietary weak points might include the consumption of high-fat foods due to eating out often, or relying on high-fat convenience foods that can be heated up in seconds. Another weak point might be skipping breakfast and overeating later in the day because of extreme hunger. Weak points in physical activity might include driving instead of walking, not engaging in sports, or spending too little time playing outside. For each weak point, identify options that seem acceptable and enjoyable. A person who enjoys broiled chicken with barbecue sauce might not mind eating that at restaurants instead of fried chicken. That’s a change people can make if they plan ahead. A person who gets too full from a large serving of fries might be happier ordering a small serving and not eating so many. A breakfast skipper might find grabbing a piece of fruit and a slice of cheese for breakfast acceptable and doable. People who enjoy walking may not mind leaving the car or bus behind and letting their feet carry them to class, the grocery store, or a friend’s house. Many acceptable options for making small improvements in diet and activity may be available. The easiest changes to accomplish are the ones that should be incorporated into the overall lifestyle improvement plan. Some people, for example, lose weight and keep it off simply by consciously cutting down on portion sizes. Others avoid eating too much at any meal and walk more. Simply adding breakfast helps some people lose weight and maintain the loss. Increasingly, people are losing weight and keeping it off by eating more nutrient-dense foods like vegetables and fruits, and fewer high fat, high sugar, energy-dense foods. This change doesn’t require that people eat less food but rather select and prepare foods that are nutrient-dense rather than calorie-dense. The easier the changes are to follow, the more likely they are to succeed.