Relearn a whole new way of eating

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 10, 30 July 1985, Page 3

Relearn a whole new way of eating

Nutrition is a topic of concern for most people. Admitting that you are overweight, and being aware of your motives for wanting to loose weight, is the first step towards slimming. The second step is to make a firm commitment to f change your eating habits — be realistic and set obtainable targets. When you eat food you ! consume calories (a measurement of food energy). You use up calories in daily activities — breathing, keeping warm and other vital functions. If more calories go into

your body than you use up, the extra energy is usually stored as fat. To loose weight you must eat fewer calories than you use up. This does not always mean eating less food, but it may mean a change in your eating habits; the what, why, where, when and with whom. Try charting your normal food intake for one week, including the time and place, activity, company, your mood (are you hungry?), . what food you eat and calorie content. You will find your strong and weak points; then start

rearranging your living/ eating habits to cover the weak spots. You will need to eat less high energy food, i.e. those with a high content of sugar, starch or fat. Alcohol also has a high fuel value. But you can still eat lots of low calorie foods to satisfy hunger pains and obtain the daily nutrients your body requires. Only by having a greater energy output than energy input will you slim. Find ways of increasing your daily activity level. Middle age is often the time when people start put-

ting on weight because activity decreases but appetite and eating habits often remain unchanged. Relearning a whole new way of eating will make you healthier, make you feel better and may even mean you live longer. A local community group is presently planning to run a continuing series of programmes covering all aspects of nutrition during the latter months of this year and extending on into 1986. More information about this will be published as plans are formalised.

Leigh

Berry

Public Health Nurse