My Road to Health

Part of my doctor's plan includes me losing weight and having a more active lifestyle. The difficult part is my migraines and vitamin b12 deficiency sometimes tells me that I can't. Here's the strategies that my doctor recommended:

Start small: Losing weight gradually makes it easier to keep it off. To reach your goal, focus on losing five pounds at a time. Then give yourself 5-6 weeks to lose each five pounds. With each small victory, you'll build more confidence and will be able to meet your long term goal.

Pair good eating with increased physical activity: You can learn the secret of weight loss from people who have already succeeded: managing calories in and out. From research, we know that people who've lost weight and kept it off have a level of control in their eating habits. By keeping the balance of calories and increasing activity can help decrease your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and even certain cancers.

Use your plan: While on your plan, make sure to learn about what works for you and adjust accordingly. Along with the headache diet, an exercise program that adjusts as you progress will ensure success.

It's not all or nothing: It's okay to make mistakes and "cheat" every once in a while. You don't have to suffer while trying to be healthy. If you enjoy what you're eating and working out, then you can keep the weight off long term. If you stick to your plan 80% of the time, you'll succeed. You're not a failure because you had a cookie or some potato chips. If you make smart food and exercise choices most of the time, let go of the guilt about a few indulgences or "oops" times. Many give up after they have a first "cheat" when they should keep it up and keep working at it.

Eating well: Becoming aware of your eating habits gets you ready to make positive changes. Try taking stock of your eating patterns and discovering what type of eater you are. I am a fast eater, which might not let me stop eating when I am clearly full. When you indulge in that "cheat" snack, make sure you make up for it with a little extra cardio or yoga. To make matters worse, many people experiment with extremely low-calorie fad diets that promis quick weight loss. These can backfire. They force the body to feed off its own muscle instead of dietary protein. As muscle is lost, gaining fat becomes easier.

Eat Light and Eat Often: People who eat smaller meals and snacks throughout the day tend to eat less because they don't get overwhelmed by hunger. Healthy snacking keeps your energy up and prevents you from getting so hungry that you overeat later.

Last but not least: BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY!

What are your healthy diet tips??