EATING HABITS

10 EATING HABITS OF THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL AND FIT

1. They Tend to Stick to the Same "Daily Menu"

The majority of fit people say they eat virtually the same meals every day,
mostly the same breakfast, same lunch, same dinner, and when it comes to
snacks and beverages . . . well, you guessed it, very predictable food. To clarify,
they did not suggest that they eat exactly the same entree for every meal, but
they often chose from three, maybe four things that they like for breakfast,
lunch, and dinner.

There are three possible reasons behind this shared habit among fitness
professionals, individuals who have succeeded at taking off 100-plus pounds
and keeping it off for years, and those who have been trim all their lives.

First, it allows "careful" eaters to predict their daily calorie allotment without
much effort. Second, perhaps the most fit among us are entrenched in habit,
including the habit of taste. Third, effortlessly fit folks are in tune with the
energy and calorie needs of their bodies. When they find foods that deliver what
they need and that they enjoy, why look further? Keep in mind, there's a fine
line between careful eating and disordered eating. The careful eater's diet is a
habit and not a matter of control or obsession.

2. They Eat Breakfast

This one common characteristic is nearly universal in statistical studies of

people who have achieved and maintained a large weight loss. Eighty percent of
those who have been able to maintain a weight loss of at least 30 pounds for at
least a year report that they always eat breakfast. Research has consistently
shown that the people who successfully lose weight are the ones that wake up
and eat! Furthermore, people who eat breakfast regularly have better vitamin
and mineral status and eat fewer calories from fat. Experts agree that the
majority of people who struggle with overeating are those who undereat during
the first part of the day, specifically those who skip breakfast. So it seems that
breakfast really is the most important meal of the day!

Why does eating breakfast help people lose and ultimately maintain a healthier
weight? One theory suggests that eating a healthy breakfast reduces hunger
throughout the rest of the day, therefore decreasing the likelihood of overeating
and making poor food choices at lunch.

3. They Drink Water

Not soda. Not iced tea. Just plain old water. This is the biggie. Drinking enough
water is a vital part of any conditioning program because it keeps your body
functioning in homeostasis and aids every aspect of bodily function. Highly
successful fit people drink at least six to eight 12-ounce glasses of water a day,
plus more as needed during exercise. Note: It's possible to drink too much
water, which dilutes the body's electrolytes (potassium, sodium, chloride,
magnesium). Don't drink more than a gallon a day unless you're also
replenishing your electrolytes.

4. They Eat SmallAnd Often

Most people know that small, frequent meals are absolutely the only way to go.
Why? Because when we go longer than 3 hours without eating, our levels of the
stress hormone cortisol rise. And high cortisol levels signal the body to store fat
in the abdominal region. Keep in mind too that people who skip meals have the
highest cortisol levels of all!

Eating small meals more often reduces cortisol levels, research suggests. In a
study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, people who ate six
small meals a day for 2 weeks, as opposed to three large meals containing the
same total number of calories, reduced their cortisol levels by more than 17
percent! They lost belly fat, too.

When you eat small, frequent meals long term, the body becomes efficient at
keeping cortisol levels low, which helps both men and women reduce belly fat.
Eating throughout the day also makes you less tempted by the monster-size
buckets ofpopcorn and supersize fries and drink containers that include triple
and quadruple servings. Guided by their nutritional needs and deeply rooted
habit to eat small meals throughout the day, the superfit stand steadfast, even
in the face of a delicious, jumbo chocolate-chip muffin.

5. They Eat Whole Foods First

Successful fit people tend to eat mainly whole, unprocessed foods, including
fruits, veggies, and whole grains (and products made from whole grains).
Certainly they enjoy the occasional treat, but 80 percent of the time or more,
their preference leads to whole foods.

Whole, natural foodsapples, steel-cut oatmeal, broccoli, salads, brown rice

are what food researchers call low-density foods. That is, they take up a lot of
room in your stomach because they contain lots of fiber, which satisfies hunger
with few calories. High-density foods are the opposite; they are things like
butter, oils, candy, or ice cream. Think about how much frosting you could
pack into your stomach if you really tried. (Okay, don't think about itit's too
gross.) Eating mostly low-density foods is the easiest way to keep your weight in
check without feeling hungry or like youre depriving yourself.

6. They Know Their Foods

This characteristic is truly universal among fit people: They know, generally
speaking, every food's calories and approximate protein, carbohydrate, and fat
content. It's not a case of being idiot savants but rather of having an
understanding, a knowledge of food that allows them to make an educated
guess. Their assumptions are almost always spot-on. This gift affords them the
skill of making better food choices on a moments notice.

Just as important: They know what one serving of said food really looks like.
You can show an effortlessly fit person a whole grain cracker, and even without
looking at the label, he or she can accurately predict how many crackers count
as one serving. Its not a gift, actually. It's a skill, and all habits are skills you
can master.
This skill is easier to acquire than it sounds. A couple of weeks of label reading
is all it takes. There are even apps for your phone and Web sites that provide
this information quickly and for free.

7. They Eat Their Favorite FoodsCarefully

Despite knowing everything about their foods and tending to stick to the same
foods day in and day out, fit people rarely report eliminating foods. If it's
something they crave, they enjoy a little taste. They know that simply
eliminating foods they absolutely love will only set them up to fail when the
temptation is too great. Instead, successfully fit people know that it's okay to
indulge every once in a while. They savor those moments instead of sucking
down the food as if theyre afraid it's the only time they'll ever see it again.

8. They Don't Keep Red Zone Food in the House

If you look in a successfully fit person's fridge, pantry, or cupboards, you won't
typically find cookies, crackers, chips, chocolate, full-fat ice cream, or soda.
Why? Because they don't crave these things. They also know you can't eat em
if you dont have 'em. Smart, right?

What's interesting about these trim types is that they don't have the same
inner battle of healthy versus junkie foods that the average person who
struggles with weight might have. They can walk past the aisle with chips and
sodas and think nothing of it. Either they never developed the junk food habit
or they kicked it.

9. They Close the Kitchen after Dinner

Unlike most Americans, successfully fit people eat their final meal at a
reasonable hour, as opposed to eating dinner followed by a lavish 10:00 p.m.
snack and another dessert. Most often they go to sleep, not hungry, but on an
empty stomach. This allows them to wake up feeling thin, rested, and hungry
for breakfast. It may take a little effort, but going to bed earlier and going to
sleep without food awaiting digestion in your stomach keeps your bodys
metabolism in a fat-burning state. Instead of digesting, which causes restless
sleep, your body can focus on other thingslike repairing cells!

10. They're Resourceful and Politely Picky at Restaurants

Successfully fit people find healthful alternatives to selections on any menu,

from a five-star restaurant's to Wendy's. They know that it's the food choices,
not necessarily the restaurant choices, that help them to stay slim and healthy.

They generally steer clear of fried meat, poultry, and fish. Instead, they order
their protein broiled, steamed, stir-fried, or poached. They also speak up in
restaurants, politely making special requests like asking that their dish be
prepared with little or no butter or sauces and with dressings on the side.

SLEEP AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

Survey findings show that stress may be getting in the way of quality sleep.
American adults report sleeping an average of 6.7 hours a night less than
the minimum recommendation of seven to nine hours.6 In addition, 42 percent
of adults report that their sleep quality is fair or poor and 43 percent report
that stress has caused them to lie awake at night in the past month.

Many report that their stress increases when the length and quality of their
sleep decreases.

When they do not get enough sleep, 21 percent of adults report feeling more
stressed. Adults with higher reported stress levels (eight, nine or 10 on a 10-
point scale) fare even worse 45 percent feel even more stressed if they do not
get enough sleep. Five percent of adults with lower reported stress levels (one,
two or three on the 10-point scale) say the same.

Only 20 percent of adults say the quality of their sleep is very good or excellent.

Thirty-seven percent of adults report fatigue or feeling tired because of stress.

Many adults report negative consequences from not getting enough sleep. More
than half (53 percent) report feeling sluggish or lazy, 38 percent report feeling
irritable, 29 percent report they have trouble concentrating and 25 percent
report feeling no motivation to take care of responsibilities.

Adults who sleep fewer than eight hours a night report higher stress levels than
those who sleep at least eight hours a night (5.5 vs. 4.4 on a 10-point scale).

On average, adults with lower reported stress levels report sleeping more hours
a night than do adults with higher reported stress levels (7.1 vs. 6.2 hours).
They are also more likely to say they have excellent or very good-quality sleep
(33 percent vs. 8 percent) and get enough sleep (79 percent vs. 33 percent).

Adults who sleep fewer than eight hours a night are more likely to report
symptoms of stress in the past month, such as feeling irritable or angry, than
adults who sleep more than eight hours a night (45 percent vs. 32 percent of
adults); feeling overwhelmed (40 percent vs. 27 percent); lacking interest,
motivation or energy (42 percent vs. 30 percent); losing patience or yelling at
their children (52 percent vs. 27 percent); losing patience or yelling at their
spouse or partner (50 percent vs. 36 percent); and skipping exercise (41
percent vs. 33 percent). They are also more likely to say their stress has
increased in the past year (40 percent vs. 25 percent).

Adults with high stress are more likely to say they are not getting enough sleep
because their minds race (49 percent vs. 10 percent of adults with low stress).

Adults with high stress are also more likely than those with low stress to say
they feel the effects of getting too little sleep:

Sixty-eight percent say they feel sluggish or lazy versus 36 percent of

adults with low stress.
 Fifty-nine percent say they are irritable versus 20 percent of adults with
low stress.

Forty-five percent say they have trouble concentrating versus 12 percent

of adults with low stress.

Forty-five percent say they feel more stressed versus five percent of adults
with low stress.

Twenty-seven percent say they feel sad or depressed versus two percent
of adults with low stress.

AEROBIC, MUSCLE- AND BONE-STRENGTHENING ACTIVITIES

To get you started, here is a list of possible activities that children and
adolescents can do to meet the Guidelines. These activities serve as a guide, so
encourage your child to do any of them, as long as they are age-appropriate.
Many of these activities fall under two or three different categories, making it
possible for your child do each type of activity vigorous-intensity aerobic,
muscle- and bone-strengthening activity on at least 3 days each week. Also,
some activities, such as bicycling or basketball, can be done at either a
moderate- or a vigorous-intensity, depending on your child's level of effort.

Age Group

Type of Children Adolescents

Physical
Activity

Moderate Active recreation such Active recreation, such as

intensity as hiking, canoeing, hiking, cross-
aerobic skateboarding, country skiing,
rollerblading skateboarding,
rollerblading
Bicycle riding
Brisk walking
Walking to school
Bicycle riding (stationary
or road bike)

House and yard work such

as sweeping or pushing a
lawn mower

Playing games that require

catching and throwing,
such as baseball, softball,
basketball and volleyball

Vigorous Active games involving Active games involving

intensity running and chasing, running and chasing, such
aerobic
 such as tag as flag football, soccer

Bicycle riding Bicycle riding

Jumping rope Jumping rope

Martial arts, such as Martial arts such as karate

karate
Running
Running
Sports such as tennis, ice
Sports such as ice or or field hockey, basketball,
field hockey, basketball, swimming
swimming, tennis or
Vigorous dancing
gymnastics
Aerobics

Cheerleading or
gymnastics

Muscle- Games such as tug of Games such as tug of war

strengthening war
Push-ups
Modified push-ups
Resistance exercises with
(with knees on the
exercise bands, weight
floor)
machines, hand-held
Resistance exercises weights
using body weight or
Rock climbing
resistance bands
Sit-ups
Rope or tree climbing
Cheerleading or
Sit-ups
Gymnastics
Swinging on
playground
equipment/bars
 Gymnastics

Bone- Games such as hop- Hopping, skipping,

strengthening scotch jumping

Hopping, skipping, Jumping rope

jumping
Running
Jumping rope
Sports such as gymnastics,
Running basketball, volleyball,
tennis
Sports such as
gymnastics, basketball,
volleyball, tennis