Thursday, October 23, 2008

Secrets to staying thin

I was reading this article from MSN Health section and it talked about 10 Secrets of the Effortlessly Thin. I've been thin my whole life and some of it is true. Here are the 10 secrets:

1) They don't diet.
This is very true for me. Its not the amount of calories I intake, its the choice of food I eat. Base on several studies I read, most diet plans don't even work. Diet food is one big scam. Even though its less in calories than regular food, people tend to eat twice the amount of it. Since it says "Diet" on it, it makes people feel good to they think they on track to a healthier life style.

2) They keep track of their weight.
I do this about once a year because I'm curious. Year after year since high school, I still weigh the same.

3) They exercise regularly.
Ha! I haven't exercise since high school.

4) They don't solve problems with food.
What they mean by this is that people tend to eat when they are emotional such as being depressed, upset, or angry. I take perspective of problems that arise and figure out what I can do to make the situation better.

5) They stop eating when their full.
This is very true for me. While some people like to finish everything off their plate, I stop when I feel full. Plus, I don't like the feeling of being overly full or "stuffed."

6) They don't surround themselves with temptation.
Is your kitchen surrounded by lots of junk food? Mine isn't. There is some, but not a whole lot.

7) They allow themselves treats.
Mmm... I love chocolate and I do eat a couple pieces of it about 3-4 times a week.

8) They eat breakfast.
I eat breakfast every day, except Sunday. I usually sleep until 11AM on Sundays, which is basically near lunch time. The article state that 80% of successful weight losers eat breakfast every day and within 1 hour of waking up. Your metabolism doesn't start to kick in until you put food into your system.

9) They move, stand, and fidget more.
I never notice this, but realizing what I do every day, I do move and stand often. As for fidgeting, I don't I do that unless I'm nervous.

10) They don't skip meals.
I eat 3 meals a day (except for Sundays). Breakfast around 7AM. Lunch between 12PM to 1PM. Little snack around 5PM. Then dinner around 8PM-9PM. If you don't eat anything for more than 6 hours, you slow down your metabolism.

If you don't know what metabolism mean, it basically means that your body breaks down whatever you eat to create energy. Energy that is vital for your body to function properly.