Always remember calories in must equal calories out. If your calories in exceed calories out, you will find yourself gaining weight, and if your calories in are less than your calories out, you will lose weight. The average woman needs about 1,500-2,000 calories a day, and the average male needs about 2,000-2,500 calories a day. Watch your portion sizes. One cup is the portion size of many foods you should eat daily, such as vegetables, yogurt, flaked cereal, popcorn, cooked pasta, strawberries and apples. A half-cup is the portion size for foods such as grapes, blueberries, cooked beans, frozen yogurt, ice cream, mashed potatoes and cooked rice. A quarter cup is the portion size for foods such as almonds, pistachios, dried fruit and two tablespoons of hummus. In general, a serving size of meat is three ounces, which is the size of a deck of cards, and for fish, it is the size of a checkbook. For more amazing portion size information, go to http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate. Do not be fooled by the terms low fat, low-sugar, sugar free and fat free that are on foods in the stores. You would be interested to know that this does not always mean they are the healthiest. Usually, when food companies take out all the fat or all the sugar, they add things such as fat, sugar or sodium to make the foods taste better. Shop healthy! Here are 10 foods that are fairly cheap and are packed full of nutrients: apples, bananas, baby carrots, canned beans, canned tomatoes, oranges, pears, dry lentils, dry pearl barley and yogurt. I also have found eggs to be fairly inexpensive. You can get a carton for cheap, and you can cook eggs in many different ways, such as boiled, poached, fried, scrambled, etc. To read more information on healthy foods in stores go to http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/10-healthy-foods-under-1-dollar. Alcohol is high in caloric value, so be aware of the amount of alcohol you consume. Calories can add up quickly! Also, be sure to remember the drinking age is 21! Physical activity is crucial to lose and/or maintain weight. Remember, calories in must equal calories out. Weight loss has been more successful when people perform about 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days (four or more) of the week. Aerobic exercise will help you lose those extra pounds by using calories in your body for fuel. For more helpful information about exercise, I strongly recommend you go to http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/physical.htm. This site provides you with knowledge about how to exercise healthy. Strength training is beneficial to weight loss due to the fact that muscle burns more calories than fat; there is a huge difference when it comes to the size of five pounds of muscle and five pounds of fat. Google it! I dare you. Also, muscle plays a key role in everyday activities. Limit sodas, juices and other high calorie drinks. Sodas hold no nutritional value. They are packed full of sugar and can add those pounds around your waste quickly. You may be wondering why I mentioned juices. This is because even though juices are good for you, they are high in calories and sugar, which means you do not need to consume large quantities of them. Drink more H2O! Water is great for you; it keeps you energized because your body can perform all the proper functions necessary. Water just keeps everything moving through your body! Water will help cleanse the toxins from your body and can keep your skin and hair looking healthy. Lastly, have you ever gotten a headache? Couldn't remember the answers on an exam? Well more than likely you were dehydrated. So, next time drink some water. You may surprise yourself. Drink more water by following some of these tips: Carry a water bottle with you and fill it up every time you pass a water fountain. When passing a water fountain, always stop and drink some water. Set a reminder. Exercise. (This will definitely make you thirsty). Have a glass of water right upon waking up in the morning, and if you would normally get soda, juice, etc., grab a glass of water instead.
