4 Keys to Successful Weight Management

Here goes the journey of dropping the 6 Pounds of Chicago gained while traveling for business.  It's important to know that there is not one facet that contributes to how successful we are in weight management.  There are many things that attribute to our overall health and well being.

4 Keys to Successful Weight Management

1)  Sustenance

- when trying to lose weight many of us stress over the food we eat looking at food only as "calorie intake" or "fat consumption".  Rather we need to consider food as sustenance; the fuel we need for nourishment and sustaining life.  It's more important to make healthy choices about the types of foods we consume than anguishing over how much.  If you are trying to lose weight mac -n- cheese isn't the best option.  Cutting your calories to zero isn't a good option either.  It will leave you with no energy to get through the day and rituous mood swings.  From Food and Mood in a 2011 US News. article "Most people understand the link between what they eat and their physical health," says registered dietitian Elizabeth Somer, author of the 2010 book Eat Your Way to Happiness. "But the link between what you eat and your mood, your energy, how you sleep, and how well you think is much more immediate. What you eat or don't eat for breakfast will have at least a subtle effect by mid-afternoon, and what you're eating all day will have a huge impact today and down the road."

2)  Sweat

- physical exercise is crucial to a healthy lifestyle and to sustainable weight loss.  You have to get your heart ticking and sweat a little.  Not every exercise is for everyone.  The key to sticking to it is finding an activity that you enjoy.  Before signing up for costly classes or buying expensive equipment see if you can find a free trial to make sure that it is somenthing you have fun doing.

3)  Sip

- hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  Water intake removes toxins, helps our muscles and joints work properly and when taken with food helps us feel satiated (full), according to the website calories per hour.  Then there's the added benefit, hydration keeps you regular so when your grandmother asks you if you had a BM today you can tell her "yes".

4)  Slumber

- sleep is as important to health and well being as diet and exercise.  There are psychological (I am sleepy so I snack) and physiological (hormones drop) reasons  sleep helps regulate weight and if that doesn't get your attention according to Web MD it also improves your sex life.  Read more about sleep and weight loss on Fitday.

Be sure to come back to see how combinations of these 4 keys help drop unwanted weight gain.