The never-too-late nutrition plan: you can rebuild yourself—no matter how badly you've trashed your body

Men's Fitness, Jan, 2002 by Myatt Murphy

How to fix yourself: Endless hours parked in the La-Z-Boy won't deprive you of any key nutrients; the issue is overeating. Putting down the remote and incorporating exercise into your day (at least three times a week for 30 minutes a session) can help burn off excess fat. Adding more whole-grain products, beans and other high-fiber foods to your diet (40 to 50 grams daily) can provide you with enough extra roughage to leave you feeling fuller, in addition to helping bring down your cholesterol, which more than likely is elevated from eating so poorly during Nickelodeon's Family Ties marathon.

To go completely cold turkey from television would probably require your set to be stolen. A less traumatic way to prevent any unnecessary weight gain, Kleiner says, is to make a habit of eating food only at the kitchen table. If you must bring food in front of the TV, choose low-calorie options such as celery, carrots, peppers and other vegetables. You can ratchet up your resolve by watching TV only while doing some type of exercise, such as riding a stationary bike or sitting on a physioball.