Healthy Diet & Exercise Plans

A healthy diet and exercise program are essential to living a healthy life. A healthy diet is not a fad program or a short-term solution but one that involves a lifestyle change that can be sustained for a long period of time.

Getting Started

  • The healthiest way to start a new diet and exercise plan is to start slow. If you haven't been involved in exercise in recent memory, don't try and run 5 miles per day. This won't work long term, and you will get frustrated and quit. The same is true for eating better. If you are used to eating larger quantities of food and calories each day, don't just wipe it all out in one day. There is no need to try and starve your body into weight loss. It is unhealthy and will also lead to you quitting. The best weight-loss diet is one that is not the latest fad but based on healthy eating habits and portion control.

Portion Control

  • The formula for weight loss is a simple one: Burn more calories than you consume. Portion control is a great way to allow this to happen. Your body needs food to produce energy. When you eat more food than the body requires for energy, it is stored and you gain weight. Portion control is about consuming many of the same foods you enjoy eating, but not overeating those foods. A healthy portion of meat is the size of the open palm of your hand, and a good portion of pasta is the size of your fist. The stomach is the size of your fist. Use this as a reference when eating a meal. The goal is not to eat until full but rather to eat for energy gain. Using portion control allows you to continue to eat the foods you like. It is more about a lifestyle and permanent eating-style change than a quick fix.

Eating Schedule

  • Eating smaller meals more often during the day is a good way to help increase metabolism, stave off hunger, and keep your body energized. The Mayo Clinic suggests that eating mini meals through the day can help manage hunger and reduce binge eating. It says, "Eating a healthy snack of low-fat crackers or fruit may stop you from taking second or third helpings at your next meal, dramatically cutting the calories you consume."
    A sample eating schedule will look like this.
    Breakfast
    Healthy snack two to three hours later
    Lunch
    Healthy snack two to three hours later
    Dinner
    Healthy snack two to three hours later
    A healthy snack consists of foods high in fiber, such as whole grains and low-fat crackers. Fruits and vegetables help create a feeling of fullness. Nuts and seeds are a good source for protein; however, keep these in small quantities as the calorie count can get high very quickly. Dairy products give you calcium and vitamins, but keep them light, low-fat or no-fat.

Exercise

  • A good exercise program is one that gives you a total-body workout with strength training and involves a cardio focus as well. This doesn't have to take hours a day or large sums of money spent at a gym. You can perform all the exercise you need at home with little or no equipment. Doing the following exercises will work all major areas of the body: step-ups, push-ups, lunges, crunches, squats, rows, dips, and calf raises.

Exercise Schedule

  • Have a good balance of cardio and strength training incorporated into your workout routine. You should focus on strength training three days per week on nonconsecutive days and implement your cardio plan at least two days a week on days opposite the strength training.
    Example:
    Monday: Strength Training
    Tuesday: Cardio
    Wednesday: Strength Training
    Thursday: Cardio
    Friday: Strength Training
    Saturday: Optional Cardio
    Sunday: Rest