Selections
Choices are critical. Choose carefully which diet to try, which foods to eat daily, how much to eat, what portion size is appropriate, which liquids to drink.

Unplug yourself from the TV
We’ve already devoted a post to this piece of the formula. Successful weight managers watch TV for an average of less than 10 hours a week. If TV is not your problem, what other sedentary activity is? Gaming? Web surfing? Reading?

Commitment
Managing weight is a lifetime commitment. Relapses will happen. Commit to the long term.

Calories
Limiting calories is the bottom line, so be sure the calories you eat are high-quality – lean protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, nutritious low calorie liquids.

Exercise
Successful weight managers exercise for 1 hour a day.

Schedule
Make appointments with yourself to exercise, eat 5-6 small meals a day (preferably earlier in the day), watch your high priority TV shows only, and do the other things needed to support your new lifestyle.

Self-Monitoring
Weigh in weekly in the same circumstances. Keep a record of eating, exercising, TV time, and any other activity that supports your new lifestyle. Have someone else (trainer, coach) reveiw those logs regularly and keep you accountable. Yes, it is a pain but it works!

These are the factors that have been PROVEN to work. So lets get going!

This article originally appeared in the Healthy Habituator, our monthly e-newsletter. Sign up box is in the left column – add your email address so you don’t miss out!

Before you spend the money for “toning shoes” take a look at the latest research on their effectiveness.

Want to add more veggies to your diet? Here’s a cooking guide for 20 different vegetables.

Interesting article – new report states that inactivity is not a contributing factor in childhood obesity. What do you think of this information? Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment and let us know.

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Here’s another reason to get kids to be more active – it seems to make their bones stronger when they are older. Read the story here.

We’ve all done it – overindulged on foods that aren’t good for us. Here’s what to eat to help counteract the bad stuff.

13 ways to get your exercise outdoors – put some fun into your workout!

Get your fruits and veggies any way you can – including this Spinach Pineapple Smoothie. And try it before you say it sounds like a bad combination!

What have you read lately that caught your attention? Leave a comment and let us know!

If we are what we eat, what are we if our produce has less nutrients than in years past? Take a look at this article and see what you think -

Are you putting on sunscreen each time you go out this summer? If so, are you doing it correctly? Take a look at this article for what you should be doing and how often -

Take advantage of all the fresh fruit available this time of year – here’s a list of 100 Calorie fruit desserts – if you try one, give us a review!

New study shows that childhood obesity leads to a lack of exercise, not the other way around. What do you think of that?

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