51 Ways to Be Good to Your Joints -- Lose Weight
From the Editors of Arthritis Today
Resolve to reduce. Lose weight. You won't just look better - you'll feel better, too. Every extra pound you gain puts four times the stress on your knees. The flip side is that even a small amount of weight loss will give your knees relief. Research has shown that losing as little as 11 pounds may cut your risk of osteoarthritis of the knee by 50 percent.
Picture portion sizes. Eating proper portions is key to losing and maintaining a healthy weight and, in turn, lightening the load on your joints. Brush up on proper portion sizes and picture visual comparisons. For instance: One serving of meat - 3 ounces - is the size of the palm of your hand; one serving of dairy - say 2 ounces of cheese - is the size of a pair of dominoes; one serving of vegetables - 1 cup - is the size of your fist.
Turn off the tube. Television not only keeps you sedentary, which slows your metabolism, it also makes you prone to overeating. Read a good book instead, or better yet, pop on those cross trainers and hit the road.
