 Embrace Your Health!
Lose Weight If You Are
Overweight
National Institutes of Health
National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute
And Office of Research on Minority Health
Contents
- What causes a person to be
overweight?
- Why should an overweight person lose
weight?
- Looking for a quick and easy way
to lose weight?
- Ready, set . . . lose!
- How big is a serving?
- Limit your portion size.
- Aim for a healthy weight!
Maybe you've been thinking about losing weight for
some time now. Perhaps you have even tried to lose weight before. Reading this
brochure shows you have the motivation to get started again. Follow the steps
below to help you form good habits to keep you going until you reach your goal
weight.
What causes a person to be
overweight?
Two common reasons for being overweight are eating too
much and not being active enough. If you eat more calories than your body burns
up, the extra calories are stored as fat. Everyone has some stored fat. Too
much fat results in being overweight.
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Why should an overweight person
lose weight?
Losing weight helps you feel better and makes it
easier to be more active. Losing weight is not easy but take the challenge. You
can do it!
If you are overweight, here are some other good
reasons to lose weight.
- Your blood cholesterol levels may improve.
- Your blood pressure levels may go down.
- Your blood sugar level may be better controlled.
Even if you don't have health problems due to being
overweight, a healthy weight can help you lower your risk of heart disease.
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Looking for a quick and easy
way to lose weight?
Don't be fooled. Be wary of
misleading programs that offer quick weight loss. Some famous phrases like,
"Eat all you want and still lose weight," or "Melt fat
away--while you sleep," may come to mind. Some other phrases to be
wary of are:
- Breakthrough
- Easy
- Effortless
- Fast Guaranteed
- Magical
- Quick
- New
- Discovery
- Immediate
- Miracle Cure
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Ready, set . . . lose!
You can make losing weight a family project or set
your own personal goal. Pick a day to begin. Focus on making simple changes on
a daily basis. Make these changes slowly. Stick to them. Try these tips:
Choose lower fat, lower calorie foods.
- Prepare food by broiling or baking more often
instead of frying.
- Eat fewer breaded and fried foods. Breading and
frying foods like fish, shrimp, chicken, and vegetables add fat and calories.
- Eat lean meat, fish, and poultry without skin.
Choose poultry breasts and drumsticks more often than the wings and thighs.
- Eat more fruits, whole grain, and vegetables. If
you are a nibbler, choose fruit and vegetables as snacks more often.
- Use the food label to choose lower calorie foods.
- Drink fewer alcoholic and high-calorie beverages.
- Drink six to eight glasses of water each day.
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How big is a serving?*
One Portion of:
|
Serving Size
|
Is About the Size
of
|
| Meat |
3 ounces cooked |
a deck of cards |
| Cheese |
1 ounce |
a pair of dice |
| Potato |
1/2 cup |
an ice cream scoop |
| Bread |
1 slice |
half a bagel, half an English muffin, half
a hamburger or hotdog bun |
| Cereal |
1 ounce |
1/2 to 1 cup depending on the type of
cereal |
| Rice or pasta |
1/2 cup cooked |
a very small bowl that side dishes are
served in at a cafeteria |
| Salad dressing or gravy |
2 tablespoons |
half a ladle of dressing at a salad
bar |
| Fruits and vegetables |
1/2 cup chopped, cooked, or canned |
a very small bowl that side dishes are
served in at a cafeteria |
| |
1 piece |
a medium apple or orange |
| Juice (fruit or vegetable) |
3/4 cup |
a small juice glass |
*These
serving sizes are the same as those on the Nutrition Facts food
label. |
|
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Limit your portion size.
- Eat smaller portions--do not go back for seconds.
- Try eating only one serving of high-fat,
high-calorie foods like pizza, ice cream, or chips. Slowly cut back on your
portion size. Substitute with lower fat, lower calorie foods during the rest of
the day.
Keep moving:
- Be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day,
or as much as you can. It really helps you to lose weight if you are more
active.
Try these to move more:
- Park your car a block or two away and walk.
- Get off one or two bus stops early and walk the
rest of the way.
- Use the stairs.
- Dance. See if you remember all the steps or learn
some new ones. Add more moves for a personalized workout.
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Aim for a healthy weight! Are You
Overweight?
My weight is _______ pounds.
Use the chart above to find out if your weight is
within the healthy weight range suggested for people of your height. Weights
above the healthy weight range are less healthy for most people.
Try not to gain extra weight. If you are overweight,
try to lose weight slowly. Lose about 1/2 to 1 pound a week until you reach a
healthy weight. Keep track of your progress. To help you lose weight, ask for
help from your doctor or a dietitian.
|
Check two or three things you
will do now to lose weight or to maintain a healthy
weight. |
Your long-term goal
should be to do them all.
|
 |
Choose lower fat, lower calorie foods more
often. |
|
Eat more slowly. |
|
Eat more fruits and vegetables for
snacks. |
|
Use the stairs instead of the
elevator. |
|
Drink water instead of soft drinks with
sugar. |
|
Use less high-fat cheeses, cream,
shortening, and butter when cooking. |
|
Limit alcoholic beverages. |
|
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES
Public Health Service
National Institutes of
Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
NIH Publication No.
97-4061
September 1997
|
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