AFP Health Reviews

Weight control is a persistent problem for many of us. Our
intentions are good but the follow through is tough. We are constantly
bombarded with advice about how to lose weight and how important weight
control is to our health*. But our busy lives make it difficult to take
control of our everyday routine. We eat without thinking or enjoying our
food. We don’t seem to have time to exercise. So what is a person to
do? How can a busy individual find ways to maintain or lose weight? Here
are 10 easy ways to help you take charge. No matter how busy you are,
you can do these things.

All of these suggestions have little or
no expense involved. They are lifestyle changes designed to help the
woman (and man) to have a healthier body.

1. MOVE!

• park your car farther away and walk to the stores or mall
• hide the remote control for your TV and get up to change the channels
• take stairs instead of elevators or escalators
• go up & down each aisle at the grocery store even if you don’t need anything on that aisle
• don’t lean on the grocery cart-stand tall and push the cart
• every time you sit down, feel guilty!

2. REDUCE your calorie intake

• cut down on how much you eat, look at the portion size and try to
  keep it to the size of cell phone or smaller (unless it is vegetables
  which are good for you)
• when eating at a restaurant ask for a to-go box right at the first and put half your food in there BEFORE eating
• don’t eat in front of the TV or while talking to friends (you are too distracted and can eat WAY more than you should)
• put your fork down between EACH bite and stop a second or two.

3. CLEAN house

• as much as you hate to do this it does burn calories. For example,
  mopping the floor and vacuuming use up 238 calories per hour (assuming a
  person is 150 lbs), dusting and taking out the trash is 170
  calories/hour, making the bed is 136/hour, and washing the windows is
  204 calories/hour. House cleaning does add up. And all that stooping,
  bending, walking, and pushing adds up to activity.

4. WALK the dog or your children

• If you don’t have a dog, then volunteer to take a friend or neighbor’s dog for daily walks
• go to the local animal shelter and volunteer your services to clean the stalls or take the dogs for walks
• take your children with you on walks. Your children will love having your company and they will learn the importance of walking
• find a local park and visit it. Don’t sit on the bench watching the
  kids. At least stand up or walk with them. Throw a ball with them. Do
  some kind of activity with them.

5. WORK out at work

• take little mini-breaks each hour at your desk. Use your chair for
  tricep dips, do pushups on the floor, situps, pull ups if you have a
  doorway
• Use your lunch break to take a walk or go up and down the stairs
• Don’t call a coworker when you can walk to their office.

6. STAND UP

• when talking on the phone, pace back and forth
• stand when reading a book, talking with friends/family, or watching TV.

7. BIKE or hike at least once a week

• Dust off the bike that you had stored in the garage or shed and
  start using it. Bike to the corner market to pick up a few groceries or
  odds and ends
• Find a nature trail and visit it every weekend. You can find hiking
  trails near you on the internet or ask an outdoor retail store if they
  know where some can be found.

8. USE an exercise ball to sit at your desk

• You know those huge round balls that you see at gyms or the sports
  store? Well, move the chair away from your computer and sit on the ball.
  This will take some getting used to but it really helps to firm up your
  core muscles to build stability. Yes, this counts as exercise. Now you
  probably can't use this at work but if you work from home OR spend long
  hours in front of the computer, sit on the ball. While you are at it,
  use the exercise ball while watching TV and either do crunches or just
  sit on it.

9. COOK at home more

• This can burn 136 calories/hour with all the standing and walking
  you do. Besides it will save you money because eating at home is cheaper
  than eating out. You can get your family involved with setting the
  table, loading or emptying the dishwasher, helping with the cooking, and
  washing dishes. This can become a family ritual and help everyone move.

10. SEX

• Kissing and hugging burns 68 calories/hour, moderate sexual activity
  burns 88 calories/hour and highly active sex burns 102 calories/hour.
  So put this into your schedule. Be sure to practice safe sex with birth
  control.

This gives you some simple suggestions for getting more
activity built into your day that won't cost you any money or at least
very little money.

Now if you belong to a gym, then USE it. Get up
earlier in the morning or visit the gym at lunchtime or in the evening.
But get back to using the gym. If you don't belong to a gym, then check
out the local YMCA. They have very reasonable memberships and they have
programs geared for the entire family.

The bottom line is to get
more active. Build it into your day and you will help to maintain your
weight or even lose some weight. An added benefit of exercise is it
relieves stress. Don't put this off for next month or after your
relatives come to visit or after you get to feeling better or any other
excuse. JUST DO IT!

*A study was recently published in the Journal
of American Medical Association that can be a little discouraging. Dr.
Lee of Harvard Medical School in Boston took a look at 34,079 healthy
women from 1992 to 2007. The women were all age 45 or older with an
average age of 54. An average of 5.7 pounds was gained in the study.
However the women who were normal in weight and a body mass index of
less than 25, maintained their weight if they exercised 60 minutes a
day. Women who exercised less generally gained weight. The JAMA journal
published this and set off a flurry of experts on talk shows trying to
help women understand and deal with the findings. As you may remember,
Federal guidelines up to this point have suggested 150 minutes a WEEK of
moderate to intense activities and this was to help prevent disease and
keep up healthy.