Small things add up. 100 calories a day can mean one of two things. If you take in 100 more than you burn each day, you’ll add 10 pounds of weight each year; the analog is also true; take in 100 less and you’ll lose 10. There are a lot of ways to cut 100 from your daily diet, and most of you won’t even notice. The converse is also true. For most of us, we not only take in the more subtle calories each day as we age, we also are less active, leading to fewer calories burned; a double whammy. More calories + less activity = trouble. Weight gain, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, orthopedic and cardiovascular issues, etc. Start thinking about what you put into your mouth. Food, which most of us ingest 3-5 times per day, will have a huge impact on your health. You truly are what you eat. I inherited some very happy fat genes from my family tree, and I am on a constant vigil to keep my weight where I feel comfortable. I don’t starve myself, I don’t restrict myself from having most things that I enjoy to eat, but I downsize my portions and keep the so-called unhealthy foods (pizza, hamburgers, fried foods, desserts, etc.) to my 2 cheat days per week. By including those days, I don’t crave what I can’t have, and can maintain my ideal weight. Even on the ‘cheat’ days, I try to cut out 100 calories. Don’t get discouraged by not losing weight immediately; the weight gain didn’t happen overnight. It was a gradual process. Be patient, take it one day at a time. And, exercise; it really helps in the battle.
Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.