Most diets do not work because once you have reached your goal, you change your diet and most people will typically go back to their old eating habits and 'diet'.
One thing you need to know is that a diet doesn't mean that you eat less food or certain types of food. Your diet is what you eat on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Your diet is basically what your eating at this time, what you ate yesterday for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and in between for a lot of people). Most people hear the word 'diet' and automatically think your watching what you eat and want to loose weight.
So what do you need to do in order to maintain proper body weight? You need to eat a healthy and balanced diet and need to refer to the 'food pyramid'.
It's not hard to see that the bulk of your diet needs to be grains, fruits and vegetables. These two food groups are complex and simple carbohydrates which are 4 calories per gram. Fats are 9 calories per gram and protein is 4 calories per gram.
It's not hard to maintain a balanced diet once you strive towards living a healthy lifestyle which should be the highest priority for you. If you do not have good health in your latter years due to a bad 'diet', you will regret eating all of that 'junk' food you consumed as it may catch up to you in the form of obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol or possibly a heart attack. If you have a chance to avoid seeing the doctor for anyone of these items when your 45, 55 or 65, would you?
Here are simple guidelines that will head you in the right direction:
- Make your main goal to live a long and healthy life. (Avoid an over abundance of greasy fast foods)
- Eat a balanced diet on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.
- Exercise every day. It could be as easy as walking around the block when you get home from work or around the building that you work at on your lunch or break time. You do not need to do any strenuous activity to exercise, just a brisk walk is fine.
Benefits and facts on fruits and vegetables
1. Eating fruits and vegetables everyday as part of a healthy diet can help you fight disease.
TRUE: A good source of many vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables are important to promoting good health. Research consistently shows that compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthy diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and perhaps heart disease and high blood pressure.
2. Most people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables for good health.
TRUE: Despite the many health benefits, most Americans do not consume enough fruit and vegetables every day. Are you meeting your needs? Everyone is different. Find out how many cups you need each day.
3. Fruits and vegetables can play a role in weight management.
TRUE: Besides having vitamins and minerals that can help protect your health, many fruits and vegetables are lower in calories and higher in fiber than other foods. Studies have shown that when people eat more low-calorie foods, they naturally eat fewer high-calorie foods. That's because people tend to eat similar amounts of food even when the calories in the food vary. As part of a healthy diet, eating fruits and vegetables instead of high-fat foods may make it easier to control your weight.
4. Green vegetables are the most nutritious.
FALSE: No one food contains all the nutrients your body needs. To get a healthy variety, think color. Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors, including plenty of dark green vegetables, gives your body a wide range of nutrients, like fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C.
5. Fruits and vegetables are always more expensive than other foods.
FALSE: The USDA analyzed the prices of 154 different forms of fruits and vegetables and found that more than half cost less than 25 cents per serving. Compared to a candy bar, soda, or snack grab bag, fruits and veggies are a bargain. (Based on 1999 A.C. Nielson Homescan data.)
6. Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried varieties of fruits and vegetables all count toward your daily needs.
TRUE: No matter what the form - fresh, frozen, canned, dried, juice - all varieties of fruits and vegetables count toward your daily recommendation. Choose fruits without added sugar or syrups and vegetables without added salt, butter, or cream sauces. Choose more whole fruits and vegetables to boost your fiber. Limit 100% fruit and vegetable juices.
7. Preparing fruits and vegetables always takes too much time.
FALSE: With so many varieties to choose from, it's easier than ever to eat more fruits and vegetables. Look for simple recipes that take only minutes to prepare. Or try whole fruits and vegetables. There are many varieties you can just rinse and eat. In addition to fruits and vegetables, a healthy diet also includes whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk products, lean meats, fish, beans, eggs and nuts, and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars. A healthy diet also means staying within your daily calorie needs.
Adapted from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.