5 Simple Ways to Stay Slim

By Rachel Johnson, Ph.D, M.P.H., R.D., "Five Small Steps," April/May 2006

Daily decisions that make healthy changes stick.

READER'S COMMENT:

"We count our calories, we count our fitness minutes, why not the numbers on the scale? We have to be accountable for maintaining our weight...there's no feeling sad about it...an 8 pound weight gain from not looking at the scale for 10...

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We all know and secretly resent them. They’re fit and thin and slip effortlessly into clothes in the tiniest sizes. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. For me, staying fit and at a healthy weight in middle age is an act of constant vigilance. I suspect it’s the same for most of us, no matter how easy it may appear to others. But this doesn’t mean we have to be marathon runners or live on celery sticks. Small things we do every day can go a long way toward staying healthy. Once they’re part of an everyday routine, they may indeed feel effortless. Here are a few things that work for me.

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