So what are you talking about when we discuss the balanced diet ? So we discussed serving size , portions , but how do you get yourself to be able to measure so that you can manage the weight ? And it helps with reversal of the disease .
So that has to do with balanced diet , portion control , limiting your sugar , added sugars to meals , tracking your food intake , physical activity , mindfulness , behavior changes , the team , a community approach , collaboration and help from others .
So first , like always I will say , consult with a healthcare professional , make significant changes in your lifestyle , with modifications and , as needed , additional resources . Discuss with a dietician or nutritionist . Try to come up with a personalized plan so that you have realistic , progressive goals and that you aim gradually .
Sustainability and consistency those are so key to getting your weight loss and just into feeling healthier and your better self . It's not just the weight , it's overall healthiness . So the goals can be one to two pounds a week . It could just literally be my cholesterol , it could be I feel better , I feel less bloated , I feel tired , less pain .
There could be many reasons and understanding what your goals are and doing it safely and effectively and consistently can be obtainable . So you can do this , obviously with a balanced diet , as we were talking about focusing on nutrient dense foods fruits , vegetables , lean proteins , whole grains and whole fats .
Now that is a variety of things for you , depending upon what your needs are . Gluten freeinflammatory or whole foods is always the best bet . Now , again , we've discussed previous was portion control and how to be mindful of your sizes . You can do this by avoiding many aspects of overeating with smaller plates . Really , be one to listen to your body .
Take the hunger cues and fullness cues . In addition , I recommend , when you're mindfully chewing and mindfully eating , think about 20 to 40 bites per food .
Now , that might be a lot , but try to get down between 10 to 20 if you could , because a lot of the breaking down of foods and prior enzymes are in from the mouth all the way down to your stomach and into your intestines . So it's beneficial to you to have smaller meals and smaller bites .
So when you're looking at foods and drinks , try to limit the added sugar . The average added sugar consumed for the day should only be about 36 grams for men and around 26 grams to 28 grams for women , and then for kids it should be about 16 grams . And would you believe there's so many added sugars per many meals and many things .
So really look at that and take in consideration the serving size and the added sugar , because that would help and additionally reduce the amount of processed foods that you have in your intake of daily foods . So that means minimize the intake of highly processed , calorie dense foods , fast food , sugary snacks , fried foods , excess over consumption .
Now , if that's available for you , maybe you want to track your food intake with a journal or a dietary needs for maybe symptoms or amount of how much you eat . Or you can also just consider more whole food options that would be more fibrous , more like broccolis , more apples , bananas and things of the nature . That will be more filling for you .
In addition , of course , I would like you to consider some physical activity in your life .
Now , that is going to range depending upon your age and your time and what is available , but some sort of aerobic activity is walking , jogging , cycling , swimming , wherever that is , and that's anywhere between 100 to 150 minutes a week of exercise and that is where it lies for you .
It doesn't mean it has to be vigorous , but modified as needed for your age , your disability , your needs and , you know , incorporate even a possibility of strength training or body composition training with light weights , and that's about two times a week to help boost the metabolism and help with not losing muscle mass and increasing , you know .
So the muscle mass will help lower some of that fat content but also will help you be stronger so that when you're in your 80s , 70s and 80s you're able to stand up and lift and and reach for things , and things are not as complex and hard for you . So flexibility and strengthening are just as important as cardiovascular activity .
Then make sure you find those activities that work for you , that won't cause you injury but is more enjoyable . And additional to that is finding mindful behavior techniques . So I've talked about mindful eating , finding ways to figure out what you would like to eat , choose meals that are enjoyable , eat slowly , savor each bite it can prevent you from overeating .
Try not to have the TV on the phone , distractions when you're eating , so that at that time you're focusing on just your meal . Managing your stress is always going to be a positive factor and so important because when you manage your stress you're able to become less stress , eating overeating or bloated and tired .
So with that you can use techniques of deep breathing , meditation , yoga . Stress can also lead to overeating when you modify your sleep and you have good quality sleep .
This ensures that it doesn't affect your hormones and it helps so that it makes you feel more full , because when you have poor sleep it does affect your hunger and when you wake up you actually find yourself more hungry or overeating that next day , which then , in tune , gives you higher calorie intake .
So how can you maintain a balanced diet , maintain your weight or just keep yourself at where you feel the most balanced and healthy ? This is by getting some support and accountability . So how do you do that ?
You do that with a community or collaboration with a friend or family member and maybe get onto a weight loss journey or walking or support group to help you get to be motivated and accountable . You can use medical interventions as needed , like that can be anything from medical weight loss , bariatric surgery .
That could just be just having a nutritionist or a counselor , and those are okay , those are allowed , and don't be worried , you know . The main thing is is trying to be as positive about where you are , love your body with what you're in and be consistent and know that it's okay . Patience , patience , patience and reversing obesity is a long-term process .
It's not necessary that you're reversing it , but you're managing it and when you understand the genetics and the overall what , you are the one that can initiate your health and do the most amazing things for it , but also know that you are the one that can make the setbacks .
So , yes , some of it is in your control and some of it is not , but you have you're like in the driver's seat . You're the one that will make those decisions and you're going to make sure that you don't get full setbacks .
So keep yourself accountable as much as possible and give yourself regular checkups with your healthcare professional that you may be with , whether it's even just a nutritionist or a counselor , trying to get between four to eight weeks of counseling or conversations with somebody so that it keeps you on track , or at least some team member or family member to get you
where you need to go , because that's really helpful to get you in the goals of where you want to be . So if that's anything , you know , look online , look at some groups . You know collaboration and team effort is always helpful , because you can't always do it alone . You know sometimes you need a little assistance .