Ten Secrets of the Effortlessly Healthy Folks...

They don't solve problems with food

Almost everyone is guilty of occasionally drowning their sorrows in a pint of Ben & Jerry's or taking out frustration on a batch of brownies, but healthy people definitely don't make it a habit. They tend not to eat purely for emotional reasons. When you are upset (or bored, lonely, frustrated or angry), ask yourself: Is food really going to solve the problem, or will it just end up making you feel worse after you finish eating? Chances are, the food won't fix what's bothering you, so it's important to come up with a list of other small pleasures you can turn to instead of food. Some ideas include going to the gym, for a walk, watching a movie, calling a friend, playing with your kids, or taking a bubble bath.

They exercise regularly

Nine out of ten people who've lost weight and maintained it exercise regularly and make it a critical part of their lives. Even if you've never been a fitness fanatic, it's not too late to get moving. Even taking a few 15-minute walks throughout the day will be a move in the right direction. Once you start to enjoy the mood-boosting and calorie-burning advantages of exercise, start looking for ways to keep your workouts interesting. Join a local gym and try a variety of classes and cardio machines, find friends to walk with, or experiment with at-home exercise DVDs.

They keep track of their weight

Healthy people know how much they weigh, and they monitor that number by stepping on the scale weekly or bimonthly. It's not about a having an unhealthy fixation on that number on the scale, but it's a way to catch a 5-pound gain before it suddenly turns into a 20-pound gain. Realize that your weight will naturally fluctuate within 5 pounds or so. Aim to keep your weight within a five-pound range, and if you see it go above that buffer zone, make sure you have an immediate plan of action for how to address it.

They don't diet

Everyone needs to get rid of that diet mentality and realize that what you are doing is making a permanent lifestyle change. You do have to eat plenty of nutrient-dense foods and ditch the processed foods if you want to stay healthy, but it's about reassessing what you eat and being more sensible in your choices, not about a quick-fix, crazy diet. Research has also shown that healthy people tend to have a better quality diet than those who are overweight. They eat more organic fruits and vegetables and more fiber, and drink more water—all healthy things that provide more food volume for the number of calories.

They eat breakfast

According to the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks the habits and strategies of more than 5,000 people who have maintained a significant weight loss, nearly 80 percent of these successful losers eat breakfast every single day. And most of their naturally lean counterparts do the same, and make sure that they eat within about an hour of waking up. Breakfast is literally breaking the fast of the night. Until you send food into your system, your metabolism doesn't really start to kick in.

They move, stand and walk more

Healthy people are rarely sitting. Beyond their regular fitness routines, they simply move around more—and consequently burn more calories—throughout the day. And a study at the Mayo Clinic confirmed this: Researchers found that on average, a group of lean subjects sat for two hours a day less than the obese subjects, potentially burning up to 350 additional calories.

They don't skip meals

There are two problems with skipping meals—and thin people are careful not to fall prey to them. Going more than six hours without food will slow down your metabolism, plus you'll likely get so desperately hungry that you'll grab anything (as opposed to something healthy) and eat too much of it. Healthy people keep their gas tanks [i.e., their stomachs] between one-quarter and three-quarters full all the time. The best way to do that is to eat frequent mini-meals every three to four hours.

They don’t eat before bed

In order for your fat burning hormones to do what they need to do, you must not eat before bed. A good rule of thumb is do not eat within three hours of going to sleep. If your body has to digest, there is no way that it cannot rest. So if you aren’t a good sleeper to begin with, skip the midnight snack and you may find yourself sleeping much better and getting skinnier!

They don't surround themselves with temptation

Rather than stocking the cupboards with junk food, thin people's kitchens tend to be filled with healthy foods. That doesn't mean you can never have any indulgences in the house, just that you shouldn't have so many that you're likely to overeat them. For example, if you love to bake, give most of your sweets away to friends, or have your kids bring them to school or soccer practice, leaving just a few behind to enjoy yourself.

They stop eating when they're full

Most healthy people are not members of the clean-plate club. Portion control is everything. Instead of mindlessly eating however much they are served, they pay attention to internal hunger cues and satiety. They are tuned into noticing when they are satisfied, and they stop eating even if there is food left. They often report that they don't like that feeling of being uncomfortably full, so they've learned how to stop before they reach it.

Be well,

Dr. M