Caribbean L 34 ife, NOVEMBER 1-7, 2019
Health
Safe and healthy
ways to shed pounds
Maintaining a
healthy weight
is a great way to
avoid sickness and disease.
According to the
Obesity Education Initiative,
sponsored by the
National Institutes of
Health, as people become
overweight and obese,
their risk for developing
a host of ailments, including
coronary heart
disease, type 2 diabetes,
certain cancers, and hypertension,
increases.
But the consequences
of being overweight or
obese are not only physical.
Psychological side
effects like anxiety and
low self-esteem have
been linked to overweight
and obesity as
well. With such serious
consequences linked to
being overweight, it’s
no wonder so many men
and women are looking
to shed pounds.
As adults embark on
their weight-loss journeys,
they can expect to
encounter a host of “miracle”
solutions to weight
loss that will promise
skinnier waistlines
seemingly overnight.
But the best way to lose
weight is to do so safely
and nutritiously.
Avoid short-term
diets. Many adults know
someone who has experience
with a “get-thinquick”
diet that promises
to produce slimmer
waistlines in a matter
of days or weeks. While
such diets might actually
be able to deliver on
their promises, shortterm
diets rarely lead to
long-term weight loss.
When attempting to lose
weight, men and women
should want to shed
pounds and keep those
pounds off. Short-term
diets may require dieters
to make unreasonable
sacrifi ces to produce
rapid weight loss.
But such sacrifi ces can
rarely be made over the
long-haul, and doing so
might even be unhealthy.
Approach your diet as a
long-term commitment
that requires a lifestyle
change, not temporary
and diffi cult-to-maintain
restrictions.
Eat only when
you’re hungry. Eating
only when you’re hungry
may sound obvious,
but many people eat as
an emotional response to
diffi cult situations, while
others may eat as a way
of dealing with boredom.
If you routinely respond
to stress by eating, fi nd a
healthier way of coping,
whether it’s going to the
gym for a workout or taking
the dog for a walk. In
addition, don’t respond
to boredom with food.
If boredom is setting in,
pick up a book or call a
friend and plan an activity
together. You may be
surprised to learn how
much weight you can
lose when you limit eating
to only those times
when you are truly hungry.
Eat at home. Even
though many restaurants
now provide calorie
information on their
menus, dining out does
not afford adults the opportunity
to control their
diets as much as eating
at home does, as dieters
can control each and every
ingredient that goes
into their meals when
eating at home.
Don’t forget to exercise.
A healthy, low-calorie
diet is only half the
formula to healthy and
sustainable weight loss.
Adults looking to shed
weight also must commit
to routine exercise
if they want their weight
loss to be both healthy
and lasting. Men and
women, especially those
people who are considerably
overweight, should
take things slowly at
fi rst, gradually committing
to more vigorous exercise
as they lose weight
and their body grows
more acclimated to daily
exercise.
Losing weight can
be diffi cult, but adults
who commit to healthy
and nutritious weight
loss are more likely to
lose weight and keep the
weight off than those
who look for quick fi xes.