8 Dos and Don’ts for Reaching Your Ideal Weight

Are you a few pounds overweight? Maybe more than a few? Being overweight can be a serious health issue. Excess weight raises the risk of certain illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, and prevents you from living an active life, including keeping up with your kids or staying active with friends and family. So how do you reach your ideal weight and stay there? Read on for our 8 Dos and Don’ts for Reaching Your Ideal Weight.

Do know your numbers. What’s your current weight? What should it be? For most women, the scale is the most inexpensive and practical way to keep tabs on weight. Use your current weight to estimate BMI (body mass index) using a calculator like this one. Knowing your BMI and identifying a healthy BMI for your height can help you to set weight loss goals. In addition to BMI, know your waist size. A healthy woman should typically have a waist that measures less than 35 inches.

Don’t forget to count calories. Expect to cut approximately 500 calories per day for weight loss. Many of the recipes on Skinny Ms. post calorie counts and other nutritional info so that you can keep tabs on what you’re eating. Learn more calorie math with 2 Ways to Calculate How Many Calories You Need.

Do work it out. There’s no getting around it. You’ll need exercise to help reach and maintain ideal weight. If you’re new to breaking a sweat, try the Shape Up Size Down Beginner’s Workout. Ready for the big-time burn? Get going with the Fat Blasting HITT Workout.

Don’t be a mope. You can’t have this. You can’t have that. The concept of dieting can trigger a case of the mopes. The reality is that healthy foods, the kinds packed with body-lovin’ protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, can please the taste buds while they reign in your jeans size. Try 9 Yummy Foods for Weight Loss, 3 Great-Tasting Superfoods, or 10 Delicious Dessert Recipes Under 200 Calories.

Don’t fly blindly. When we’re busy, we tend to lose track of how much we’re eating and how little we’re working out. Keep a food journal to log what’s going into your mouth and to help you keep tabs on calorie control. A fitness journal will allow you to keep a record of how much you’re exercising. Keep it old-school with a paper and pen, or try a fitness app for your smartphone. Get started with our 30 Day Fitness Journal Challenge.

Do move, move, move. Our bodies were made to move, but our busy lifestyle, which often tethers us to our computers, makes it more challenging to do that. But you can reach your ideal weight by committing to being active. Along with regular exercise, move whenever possible. Walk around the house while you’re on the phone or park far from store entrances. Do a few stretches at the desk between phone calls. Just move.

Don’t starve yourself. Trying to reach your ideal weight does not mean starving your body of the protein, nutrients, and fats (yes, fats!) it needs to function. Eating too little slows the metabolism, causing the body to retain fat. And starvation will put you in a very bad mood. Women should never eat less than 1200 calories a day without a doctor’s supervision.

Learn more about How I’ve Maintained My Ideal Weight for 5 Years.

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SkinnyMs.

The SkinnyMs. team believes that all people, regardless of age, size, and fitness level, have the power to transform their lives — they just need the resources to do so. The SkinnyMs. method promotes healthy living through a combination of clean eating and regular exercise. We offer everything you need to be successful.

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