Maintain, Don’t Gain by Mindy Hermann, R.D. (NAPSA)—Is it possible to get through adulthood without gaining weight? Ask some of your friends and the answeris likely to be no. Manyofus find that weight gain is inevitable as we age. Yet many adults maintain their weight by making small but important changesintheirlifestyle. * Keep on moving. Get regular physical activity, even on days when you are tired or unmotivated. Put activity in the same Mindy Hermann category as brushing your teeth or taking a shower—a part of your daily routine. Carry that weight. It’s never too late to build muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat, and you'll look more toned also. Eat less. “As you get older, you lose muscle mass and need fewer calories to maintain body weight,” says Lorena Drago, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., C.D.E., author of “Beyond Rice and Beans: The Caribbean Latino Guide to Eating Healthy with Diabetes.” “Eating the same amountof food can lead to weight gain.” Also, you may be less active than when you were younger, so your body requires less fuel. Take time for breakfast. Breakfast eating is strongly linked to a healthier body weight. Participants in the National Weight Control Registry database of individuals who have lost weight and kept it off overwhelmingly are regular breakfast eaters. Have a bowl a day. According to Dr. Barbara Rolls, a researcher at Penn State, cereal plus milk and fruit is filling and low in calorie density, meaning that you get a lot of food for the calories. For example, a serving of Whole Grain Total plus skim milk and berries supplies less than 200 calories. * Choose foods that grow from the ground. “A diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes (dried peas and beans) is packed with nutrition, supplies fiber, and is associated with a healthier body weight,” says Roberta Gershner, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., a nutrition consultant in Ossining, New York. Enjoy your meals. Slow down and truly taste your food. You may find that you fill up faster when you eat slower. Turn off the television during meals so you can give your meal yourfull attention. Q: How can I eat cereal if I don’t like milk? A: Make a parfait: Layer a cereal like Whole Grain Total with dairy or soy yogurt and fruit for a tasty breakfast, snack or even dessert. Make your own trail mix by combining a few different cereals with nuts and dried fruit. Sprinkle cereal on a salad or stir into cottage cheese. Mindy Hermann, M.B.A., R.D., is a nutrition writer for women’s, health and fitness magazines. She is the co-author of “Change One” and the American Medical Associ- ation’s “Family Health Cookbook.” wane eee eee eee Nt n eee eee e eee - eee Note to Editors: This is Series VI-20 of 26.
