Many Iowans made resolutions a little over two months ago to get themselves in better physical shape in the new year. Carol Voss, the nutrition coordinator for Iowans Fit For Life, says she’s aware of several people who’ve given up on their fitness goals, but she’s hearing a lot more success stories.
“I’m impressed with how many people have continued to come to the gym that I go to,” Voss says. “It’s increased in the last couple of months. People are really getting the idea this is not just a trend. It should be a constant behavior that we should get on board with.”
Voss recommends the website, www.livehealthyiowa.org, for recipes and all kinds of motivational tools.
“You can find examples of lots of different eating tips, physical activity tips,” Voss says. “There’s lots of different links to useful websites, just about any information you can imagine to help you stay active and eat healthy.”
She says not to deny yourself your favorite foods, but watch portion size. If you’re dining out, try cutting a big meal in half before you start and set it aside for carry-out.
When eating at home,”make half of your plate fruits and vegetables, that’s a very good visual,” Voss says. “That way you know you’ve got some really good nutrient-filled foods and then you won’t have as much room left on your plate for those foods that might not be as low in calories and as high in the right nutrients that we’re looking for.”
She suggests you switch to fat-free or one-percent milk and choose soups that are low in sodium. Also, drink water instead of other sugar-heavy drinks.