Tips for Weight Management

In addition to helping you feel and look better, reaching a healthier body weight is good for your overall health and well-being. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk for developing health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. The secret to success is making changes and sticking with them. Use these 10 tips to help you reach your weight goal and keep those extra pounds from creeping back on:

1. Think lifestyle change. Permanent weight loss is not something that a “quick-fix” diet can achieve. Instead, think about weight loss as a commitment to your health for life. Making smarter choices and exercising regularly are habits that must become a way of life for long-term, successful weight loss.
2. Set realistic goals. Trying to transform all of your eating and exercise habits overnight can backfire. Set one small, achievable goal like walking for 15 minutes after dinner or packing a healthy lunch to bring to work instead of eating out. Once you master your goal, set another.
3. Portions count. Portions have increased over time, so you may be eating more than you realize. To figure out how big your portions really are, measure out a fixed amount of food or drink to see what 1 cup, ½ cup or 1 ounce looks like.
4. Make better choices. Choose more fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, low-fat dairy products and lean protein foods. For example, try a side of fruit or steamed vegetables to complement your meal instead of fries or chips.
5. Get more fiber. Fiber helps fill you up faster, which can curb your hunger and cause you to eat less. To boost your fiber intake, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and choose more whole-grain products such as whole-wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white.
6. Increase physical activity. The amount of physical activity needed to manage body weight depends on calorie intake and varies from person to person. To help manage body weight, start with the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. These weekly minutes should be increased over time to meet weight-loss goals.
7. Decrease screen time. Those who spend more time being sedentary, particularly watching television, are more likely to be overweight or obese. Set a goal to reduce the time you spend in front of the television, walk on a treadmill while your favorite show is on and try to avoid eating while watching television.
8. Cook at home more often. When you cook at home instead of eating out, you can often make better choices about what and how much you eat and drink. A healthy meal starts with more vegetables and fruits and smaller portions of protein, dairy and grains. Think about how you can adjust the portions on your plate to get more of what you need without the extra calories.
9. Substitute! Choose the low-fat or fat-free version of dairy products like cheese and milk. When experimenting with healthy recipes, replace sour cream with low-fat or fat-free yogurt and use spices and herbs to add more flavor instead of adding salt or fat.
10. Track your progress. Keep a food log and weigh yourself regularly, keeping track of each pound and inch you lose. Keeping track of your weight-loss efforts will help you stay motivated when you can see the progress you are making. 

Healthy Weight Calendar

March

• National Nutrition Month (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

September

• National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month (American College of Sports Medicine)
• Fruit and Veggies - More Matters Month (Produce for Better Health Foundation)

For More Resources on Weight Management, Please Visit:

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Florida Department of Health