People's definitions of healthy fitness vary, often due to their avocation or passion.
Body builders, for example, might consider themselves to be fit and in the best of health.
Some of them may be, but others have died from the use of performance enhancing drugs and herbs.
Aerobics instructors will give credit to their daily workouts, which may include several hours of low to high impact aerobics, for their overall health and appearance.
They need to eat more calories than the average person, just to maintain a "low" normal weight.
If they fail to eat enough, they may become underweight, which is just as unhealthy as being overweight.
Models, actors and celebrities sometimes need to lose large amounts of weight, in a short period of time.
Without cutting off an arm, the only way they can do that is with a fast or a crash diet.
Of course, anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that crash diets are not good for your health.
It may sound like an out-dated thing to say, but moderation and balance are the keys to healthy fitness for life.
Unless you are suffering from an underlying condition like a dysfunctional thyroid, there are certain things that you should do every day and certain things that you should never do.
There are also some things that you can do occasionally, if you "really" want to.
Surveys indicate that most overweight people feel deprived when they are dieting.
There are too many things that they cannot have.
Television commercials certainly don't help.
Everyone seems to be having a great time eating unhealthy foods and drinking unhealthy beverages.
None of them are fat.
They all have perfect skin and their hair looks good.
It would be great if everyone could just ignore the commercials.
But, if temptation has interfered with your healthy fitness goals in the past, then be sure to make room in your daily caloric intake for your favorite foods, the ones that have screwed you up in the past.
Now, if your favorite foods happen to be simple carbohydrates (pizza, pasta, potatoes, cupcakes, etc.
) then there is something that you should know.
Not only do those foods pack on the pounds, they cause wrinkles and cellular aging.
Diets rich in those foods are the underlying causes of life threatening diseases.
If you are able to control how much you eat, you may be able to include any foods that you want in a healthy fitness eating plan.
If you have trouble with portion control or realizing that you are "full", it's better to stick with healthier foods on a daily basis, saving the really unhealthy foods for special occasions.
As far as exercise goes, make sure to include some strength building exercises.
Body builders are extreme examples of how muscular a person can ultimately become.
You might not want to look like that.
But, if you have plenty of muscle, your body will burn more fat and calories at rest.
So, include a little weight lifting in your healthy fitness plan.
Just don't overdo it.
Remember that balance and moderation are the keys.