Also , be sure to adjust your calorie intake if your activity level changes . Women over age 50 need between 1,600 and 2,200 calories daily . Men over 50 need between 2,000 and 2,800 calories daily . If you have a more sedentary life , your calorie needs fall at the low end of the range , while an active person should aim for the top of the range .
Next , it ' s time to pay attention to how many calories are in each of those portions that you ' re now working so hard to control . Add them up , and keep a running total of how many calories you have eaten in a given day . If you really want an ice cream snack , then swap out some calories from another meal to stay within your calorie allowance for the day .
Senior Nutrition Tip : Avoid Diet Sabotage
Unfortunately , it doesn ' t take much to derail your healthy eating efforts before they become habits . Try these tips to keep you on course with healthy eating :
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Have healthy , easy-to-eat foods on hand all the time ; that way they ' re ready and within reach when you ' re tempted to snack or indulge .
• Stay away from salty , fatty , and sugary foods ; they ' ll just trigger your craving for more .
• Drink plenty of water because dehydration can trick you into thinking that you ' re hungry for unhealthy food . Skip sodas , tea , and coffee , which don ' t quench your thirst .
• Keep stress under control .
• Eat regularly to keep yourself from getting too hungry and splurging on junk .
• Cook more food than you need for a meal , and freeze the rest for leftovers . Heat them up when you ' re too tired to fix something healthy .
• Make healthy food taste delicious by making it more flavorful . Season your meal with garlic , vegetable oils , onions , or vinegar instead of salt .
It ' s all about making a commitment , and the sooner you start the easier it will be . So go ahead and disprove that adage about old dogs and new tricks by changing your eating habits today .
Read more at www . everydayhealth . com