In Your 20s
Now is the time for prevention. Unhealthy eating habits will follow you into your 30s when your metabolism (how quickly you burn calories) begins to slow down by 1% every year.

Invest in Yourself
You’re past the Frosh-15, but you can’t dodge the effects of gravity and aging forever. Women naturally have more body fat than men, and as every decade passes, weight becomes harder to lose. With a plan and a little knowledge, however, not only can you smile in the face of these future-facts, but you can avoid party-dress panic and the self-loathing after a chocolate binge. Knowing what your body needs is half the battle. The other half is follow-through – and replacing bad habits with good ones can be as simple as changing how you think about what you eat; what food does and what it can do for you. Make sure you fill up on these nutrients (right) to stay energetic and prevent diseases. And check out Curb your Cravings for more tips.

In Your 30s
It’s time for a tune up! A slowing metabolism and no exercise can cause weight gain. Skip diet fads – focus on burning calories, and building muscle and bone strength.

Optimize Your Health
Think adequate daily exercise consists of carrying your shopping bags in from the garage? As you age, you need to gradually up your level of exercise to help balance a slowing metabolism, and to keep your heart and bones healthy. Research shows walking just 30 minutes three times a week can help maintain a healthy weight, and fend off a host of diseases, including diabetes and depression. But you also need 15 minutes of daily resistance weight training, such as yoga or weight lifting, to help maintain bone strength. Bonus: Resistance exercise can help boost your metabolism! In addition to making it OK to allow yourself the odd guilt-free brownie, regular activity boosts energy levels and keeps you positive about your body image. Besides, you’ll find working out makes high-cal, high-fat, high-sodium foods slightly less tempting.

In Your 40s & Beyond
Your body is less efficient so it’s time to take stock. Eat smaller meals throughout the day, keep hydrated and stay strong with exercise.

Manage Your Metabolism
Losing weight is harder when we get older, but not impossible. The key is to avoid drastic dieting, which can put your body in starvation mode – literally slowing down your metabolic rate. (A steady weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week is healthy.) Instead, you need to help your body burn calories by eating smaller regular meals and snacks every 3-4 hours. Don’t exceed 1,900 calories, the recommended daily caloric intake for women 25-49. Check out the chart (right) to keep an eye on your portion size, and keep healthy snacks handy at work, in the car and at home when hunger strikes. Don’t sweat the odd splurge: you have to eat an extra 500 calories every day for a week to gain one pound. For more tips about your metabolic rate, see Metabolism Myths.

Read the next The Healthy Eating Guide article: Bank On It.

First published in Wish Winter 2006