by M. Halyard

Created on: January 07, 2011   Last Updated: January 14, 2011

Adulthood is filled with obstacles to a healthy lifestyle. Fast food. Stress. Overbooked schedules. As a result, the majority of Americans are now overweight or obese, according to a June 2010 National Center for Health Statistics report. However, American adults can beat the odds and develop life-long strategies for long term fitness by adhering to a few simple rules.

Rule #1: Balance nutrition with calories.

Nutrition labels are deceptive. Serving sizes are smaller than typical consumption patterns, and many savvy shoppers who regularly check nutrition labels for calories, fat content, carbohydrates, and even fiber fail to look at serving sizes. If one is buying prepackaged, processed food (who isn’t?), one is generally buying a product that is heavy in sodium, calories, and carbohydrates and light in nutrition.

The lesson here is simple: Check serving sizes. If you don’t see yourself eating only 12 potato chips at a sitting, imagine what an entire bowl (or bag!) would do to the fat content of that purchase.

An excellent resource for learning to track the calorie and nutritional value of foods is Calorie King, a website that allows you to enter daily foods consumed by time of day. This website produces daily tables and charts for your review that accurately describes the total nutritional value of the food you eat. After several weeks of entering daily foods consumed, you will be much smarter about what you buy and eat.

Rule #2: Be cautious with restaurants.

Speaking of portions, be smart about restaurant choices and learn to split main entrees with a friend or partner, with a salad or vegetable dish on the side for each of you. The Eat This, Not That Restaurant Survival Guide gives many tips for choosing wisely among restaurants and gives you the tools to navigate menus with confidence.

Rule #3: Commit to an exercise program.

If you belong to a club or gym, vary your workout in order to increase your stamina, flexibility, and coordination. Challenge yourself to longer and more strenuous goals in attainable increments.

If you spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer, take mini-exercise breaks every half hour or so. If you watch a lot of television, be sure to use commercial time to get up and move around - jog in place, do leg lifts, ride an exercise bike, or use a treadmill.

Rule #4: With age, your metabolism will slow; kick it up a notch with better nutrition and activity.

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