By Stacey Edwards

WAs the annual five pound weight gain many of us experience weighs on our hips and in our minds, we resolve to start taking care of our health. Men and women of all ages join this journey every year. There are many lifestyle habits that all of us should cultivate and some that are specific to the stage of life’s journey you find yourself in now. In every case, it is always the right time to start living a healthier weight!
Start out by taking an inventory of lifestyle habits for all ages. Which of these habits for a healthy weight do you do?
• Eat breakfast every day
• Eat 1 1/2 to 3 cups of vegetables every day
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Weigh yourself at least once a week
• Walk, dance, bike: exercise at least 5 days per week
• Choose foods that are minimally processed
• If you snack, choose “healthy snacks” like fruit or nuts
• Sleep until you feel rested
• Choose foods low in saturated and trans fats
• Eat 100% whole grain bread and pasta, brown rice, oats
• Don’t skip meals or go for long stretches with nothing to eat
• Eat a variety of foods – different types, colors, and flavors
This is just a taste of the many things we can all do for a healthier weight. If you have mastered all of these, you are well on your way to a bona fide healthy lifestyle.
There are other things to know as you progress through this journey. As a young adult, it is important to adopt an active lifestyle that will carry through the years. It is also important for young women to get plenty of calcium from either low fat dairy foods or deep green vegetables.
Moving forward into adulthood – especially after age 30 – it is important to start scaling back portion size. Our metabolism starts to decline at this age and will do so progressively through the rest of our life! This is the age where many start to gain 5, 10, even 15 pounds a year unwittingly. By eating a reasonable single portion at meals, avoiding “empty calories” (high calorie foods with no nourishment value), and moving your body daily you can beat the odds and maintain a healthy weight.
The next big shift comes for both men and women around the “change of life,” often about age 50. In addition to the many visible changes in your bodies’ chemistry, there is a sudden drop in metabolism which means you start gaining weight for “no reason at all.” This is when our bodies benefit most from exercise, eating lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains (for antioxidant power and fiber), and cutting back on foods that are sugary or high in saturated or trans fats.
As we mature our bodies do change – and along with it we need to open the bag of tricks for maintaining a healthy weight. However, the majority of lifestyle habits for a healthier life apply to all of us throughout our lives. So choose one new healthy habit from the list and get started! After all – now is your time to live a healthier weight!

Stacey Edwards, Dietician, Canonsburg General Hospital, can be reached at (724) 745-6100.

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For more articles, download the Winter '10 issue (PDF)