Yea I think staying at the weight you want to be at is as simple as making sure your consuming the right amount of calories everyday. Now I am not a fan of counting the calories in every food you eat, it just becomes obsessive at that point. I think eating natural is the best way to go though. Its the way humans were made to eat. The less artificial and messed with by man the better. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, whole rice, low sugar/salt, mostly lean meats and fish are all great. Instead of snacking on chips or candy you could snack on fruits or vegtables. A handful of jelly beans is around 350 calories(just had some last night
) vs an apple which is around 50-100. An apple is much more filling and satisfying too where as the jelly beans just leave you wanting for more. 3-6 apples contains the same amount of calories as a handful of jelly beans.
I think a lot of eating healthy is mental. I made a decision to not eat chips anymore. We always have chips in the house but I never struggle with eating them. Its pretty much a mental block I have made. Chips don’t taste that great, chips aren’t very good for me, I don’t need chips. I used to eat them everyday and now its hard for me to remember last time I had one. I successfully convinced myself I didn’t need them anymore.
I’ve found with a lot of junky food that I find myself eating that I don’t really even enjoy it that much. Its like a habit. Society tells us Little Debbie cup cakes are good so we eat em. In reality I could think of more healthy things I would have rather ate.
Personally I think there is no problem with indulging in junk food a few times a week though. Some people like to have a cheat day where they eat whatever they like on that day, within reason obviously. We only live so long and I don’t see the problem in a little candy, cake, or whatever we crave once in a while.
Your diet should be a way of life though not just something you do for a month or so to lose weight. Its the only way your gonna stay consistently at the weight you want to be at. There are all these diet plans out there but in the end if you only do it for a year you just going to gain the weight back eventually once you get off the plan.
As far as working out I think the healthiest thing is a mix of cardio and some intense strength training. All you really need is a workout 3 times a week to gain strength.
Working out isn’t everyones cup of tea. I am more of a hands on person so Its something I actually enjoy to a certain extent. However I would definitely say its a healthy thing to do especially in this day and age where a person not getting enough exercise in his/her daily life is relatively common. Even if you are a person who gets a good amount of excersise everyday be it from your job or just taking care of a bunch of kids, which can be pretty darn taxing
, strength training can still be beneficial to your health.
I personally do barbell lifting which I think is the best way to gain all around strength in your upper and lower body. The chances of injury always go up when the weights get heavier. That is just a given risk though. I try to use good form and stay within my limits and I believe I’ll be fine.
Just doing body weight exercises, which are very safe, can be very beneficial though. One legged squats, different kinds of push ups, pull ups, crunches, stretching are all good ways to exercise without having to spend money on weights. In order for me to really stay motivated when working out I need to consistently progress in whatever I am doing. Strength training definitely does that for me.
I try to think of working out as a health thing like brushing my teeth. Sure I could live without brushing my teeth but I’ll be a whole lot better off if I do it. A bit of an extreme example I guess, but that is the way I look at it.
Just my .02 cents hope it helps in some way.
