(3/2018) Have you kept that New Year’s Resolution? Usually by this time you know if you have made the lifestyle change that will enable you to stick to the resolution you made. Many people say they want to lose weight or get healthy but really don’t decide just how they will do it. I realize that putting this into practice is not always easy. I believe there are three steps needed to achieve your goal. Food, cardio and weightlifting are the components needed to lose weight and maintain it for a lifetime.

We all know eating the right kind of food in the correct portion size is a key to losing weight. The problem comes in when people think of the word diet as a problem. The word diet should be thought of as what we eat to stay alive not as a word only associated with losing weight. Fresh foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains and meats are the way to enjoy foods at their best. Processed and pre-packaged foods are adding so much to our diet that causes weight gain. You can usually have larger amounts of fresh foods because they do not contain added salt, sugar and other ingredients that convert into fat and is stored in your body. Portion size is another part of the food control. You do need to be strict with the type and portions of food while trying to lose weight but after you reach your goal you can enjoy a fun food every now and then.

Cardio exercise is the second component of losing weight and keeping it off. Find an exercise you like and will have fun doing. I have written many suggestions in past articles but I will mention a few again. Play with your kids or animals, find a friend to walk with, take a dance class or something you enjoy. Movement is the important part. Cardio is also the things we need to do like cleaning the house, washing the car and mowing the grass. Doing these things get the necessities and the exercise completed at the same time.

Cardio is also important to keep the heart, lungs and our whole body healthy. It not only burns calories, it improves our body’s condition and helps to prevent illness and disease. Cardio helps build energy and endurance to help us through our day.

Weightlifting is the third component in my prescription for losing weight and maintaining it throughout your life. Strong muscles not only help with balance as we get older but they help with fractures, energy and possibly the ability to keep our independence longer. Strong, lean muscles also burn calories and help maintain a healthy weight. You can burn more calories for a longer period of time after lifting weights than you do after a cardio workout.

Just imagine the calorie burn if you warm up with a half hour of cardio then do a half hour of weightlifting. That would give you maximum calorie burn to get you closer to your weight loss goal. Utilizing the three things I mentioned in this article can promote and help you achieve the lifestyle most people want. Good food and physical activity not only keeps our body in shape but our mind as well. Taking care of ourselves gives us the satisfaction we need to feel better about ourselves because we know we are doing something to live a longer and healthier life.

Taking care of ourselves also gives us the energy and hopefully the assurance that we will be there to take care of family and friends when they need our help. Do some research and talk to your doctor before jumping into any exercise and weight loss program. Call me at 717-334-6009 with questions and remember Keep Moving!