Dieting is Not as Important as Healthy Eating

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      Every day we as a nation as are bombarded with images of thin and buff bodies. There is not a person alive today that has not tried at least one diet, whether they really needed it or not. There should more focus on healthy eating than on so-called fad-diets. Skipping a meal is not healthy and  it can be dangerous. We need three meals a day, not two. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a program called MyPyramidTracker (http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/default.htm), with this program you can plan your meals and know exactly how many calories and nutrition you get even before you prepare the meal. It will keep up with you all day, and at the end of the day, it will tell you how well you did in certain areas, like sodium, calories, fat and carbohydrate intake. With this program, you can over time (a very short amount of time) start making better food choices. With this, you can eat desserts, hamburgers and chips, the trick is to eat portion sizes and to eat a more balanced meal overall. Here is how it breaks down:

• Breakfast – instead of just eating toast, cold cereal, or a pop tart in the morning, try this or a variation.

Breakfast Plan #1

1. Bran Muffin
2. Fruit
3. Juice and/or milk
4. Scrambled Eggs
5. Bacon or Sausage (vegetarians, insert whatever you want to use to replace the meat)

Breakfast Plan #2

1. Fruit
2. Juice/Milk
3. Pancakes/Waffles (2) but use less butter and syrup
4. Potatoes (wedges/hash browns/tater tots)
5. Yogurt

• Lunch/ Dinner – this meal should be enough to keep you going for the remainder of your workday or time at school.

Lunch Plan #1

1. One slice of pizza or medium size hamburger
2. Small salad
3. Fruit
4. Juice or Water
5. Medium Baked Potato

Lunch Plan #2

1. Fish (at least 2 pieces) or in a sandwich
2. Coleslaw or potato salad (not both)
3. Baked Beans
4. Potato Wedges or Logs
5. Salad

• Supper – This is last meal of the day and should be served before 9 P.M. if possible (some people work later than others do). This one should be filling, not overdone or made into a small feast.

Supper Plan #1

1. Spaghetti (1 cup and half at the max)
2. Garlic Bread (not a whole loaf, one or two slices)
3. Salad – medium

Supper Plan #2

1. Grilled Low Fat Cheese Sandwich
2. Tomato Soup
3. Small Salad

      Now these meal plans are only suggestions, you can make up for you and your family, which better suits you. The key to all these meals is balance and nutrition, but in portion sizes that if used right will give you more energy and help you lose weight, but in a healthy and safe manner. You need to have food in order to metabolize what you eat; without the energy that comes from food, you cannot burn the calories the right way.

     You should also check with your doctor, he or she could help you tailor a meal plan that is perfect for you. If you have diabetes, heart problems, high cholesterol, or a thyroid condition, you can still use the MyPyramidTracker, but you should get your doctor involved to make sure you pay attention to the important areas in your overall health.

Exercise

    Healthy is better than thin any day of the week. If you want to lose weight, do it safely and in a healthy way. Adding exercise to your daily routine will also serve you well. Find an exercise you like doing (this can be anything from Taebo, Pilates, Aerobics, Yoga, Housework, Gardening, Walking, Running, Biking), but do not limit yourself, try new things, even dancing will get you results and who doesn’t like dancing? Do it for at least 30 minutes every day in order to get your heart pumping and blood flow going, which will burn calories. If you have to take break, do so and drink plenty of water.

Water

    It is important to drink plenty of water during the day. Now I mean H20, not Pepsi or Coke. You need at 8 8oz servings of water a day, which is equal to four (16oz) water bottles. You can add water-flavoring packets if you need to, but make sure they are sugar free because if they are not, you are no longer drinking water, your drinking Kool-Aid.

       I wish everyone success with their healthy eating plans. Remember, thin is nice, but healthy is better in the long run. In addition, I success getting a buddy to be healthy with, not only is it more fun to go into something with a friend, but you can support each other and help keep each other motivated.