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Keys to Improving Your Health

By Cathy Nobil-Dutton

The beginning of the New Year is an ideal time for setting goals. For many of us, those goals often involve losing weight through dieting. The difficulty is that the usual “diets” can make us feel deprived. We either fail to lose weight, or get caught up in yo-yo dieting, the pattern of losing and gaining weight which usually ends up with putting on extra pounds. But it doesn’t have to be this way. When healthy eating teams up with increased activity through a realistic fitness program, you get a healthier body that looks good and makes you feel good. The keys to success are: learning healthy eating patterns, setting realistic fitness goals, and staying motivated long enough to see results.

Although no two people have exactly the same nutritional needs, there are some guidelines that apply to most adults. Rather than focusing on dieting, focus on creating healthy eating patterns. You can do this by adding nutritious foods to your daily diet instead of cutting out particular foods. The results are increased strength and energy and a healthier weight. While making healthy eating habits part of our lives may sound like a good idea, many of us need help getting started. It is important to begin with a comprehensive program that includes evaluating your eating habits and lifestyle.

First, you must learn the skills necessary to make healthy food choices. The second part is starting a fitness program with attainable goals that take into account your time constraints, physical condition, medical concerns and activity level. This may include exercising on your own, working out at a gym or working with a personal trainer, depending on your personal preference. When embarking on your diet and fitness programs, seek emotional support that encourages the self-acceptance necessary to resolve body image issues. This last step is crucial, since ignoring it can sabotage the best of intentions.

It is important for us to look at the quality of the food we are eating and make the most nutritious choices. Unfortunately, we often do a better job of taking care of our cars than we do of taking care of our bodies. While we’re conscientious about filling our cars with top grade oil and gas, we usually don’t treat our bodies nearly as well. If you’re going to eat “junk food” once in a while, make sure you know what you’re eating and make sure that you’re not using it to replace any of the healthy food that your body really needs. Get started today and make this year a healthier one!

BODY ESTEEM, founded by Cathy Nobil-Dutton of Glenside, is an in-home service that provides fitness training, psychological motivation, support, positive body image development and overall well-being. Ms. Nobil-Dutton is certified by the American Council on Exercise as a Personal Trainer and a Lifestyle and Weight Management Counselor, is a member of the International Association of Fitness Professionals, and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. For more information about BODY ESTEEM, call (215) 887-3707 or visit www.BodyEsteem.com.