Gained weight after having children? Worried about middle-age spread? Gone up a dress size or two? Do you have heart disease? Do you have diabetes? Now may be a good time to try to lose weight before your weight starts affecting your health.
Body image isn’t the only benefit of weight loss—health professionals agree weight loss can improve the following health conditions:
• Cardiovascular disease. A low-fat, low-cholesterol, high-fiber diet will lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and your weight, which may reduce the chances of heart disease.
• Diabetes. Weight loss can decrease the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. People living with diabetes can have better control over their blood sugar and lower their risks of other side effects by managing their weight and choosing an appropriate diet.
• Metabolic syndrome. Weight loss reduces your chances of having metabolic syndrome or will reduce your risk factors involved with it. Classification of metabolic syndrome includes high blood pressure, high lipids (cholesterol/triglycerides), and a large waist size.
• Artificial hip/knee surgery. The less body weight you have, the less stress that’s added to your hip or knee areas. Therefore, lower weight reduces your chances of needing surgery in the future.
• Sleep apnea. A reduction in weight means better air flow to the lungs and better sleep.
• Conception. Health professionals claim your chances to conceive are better at a healthier weight than for someone who is overweight.
• Some cancers. A diet rich in fiber, low in fat, and lower in animal products may lower the risk of some cancers.
• Illness/disease. A diet high in fruits and vegetables provides more antioxidants in your body to fight against illness and disease.
• Death. For every pound you’re overweight, your life expectancy decreases by one whole month. For example, if you’re 60 pounds overweight, you lose five years off your life.
The No. 1 benefit of losing weight is the quality of life you’ll enjoy. Start today by lowering your health risks, with a possibility of lowering your medications. A 10 percent reduction in weight will result in improving various health conditions.
Other reasons to lose weight
Financial benefits can result from:
• A decrease in visits to your physician and a decrease in the amount of medication you need.
• Health insurance companies offering rewards for adopting a healthier lifestyle (e.g., increasing exercise, weight reduction, and/ or smoking cessation).
• Being able to fit into old clothes that were too snug.
• Less expensive airfares (some airlines require people to buy two tickets if they can’t fit into one seat).
• Prizes—through “Losers Are Winners,” you and friends can win cash as the team losing the most weight.
• Self esteem/confidence improves by losing weight, and confidence results from daily exercise.
Am I overweight?
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a weight-to-height ratio, regardless of age. If you have a BMI above 25, you’re considered overweight and should think about losing weight. BMI may be affected by bone structure, family history, etc., and should only be used as a guide. If you aren’t sure if you’re overweight, ask a health professional.
How much weight should I be losing?
If you’re only a few pounds overweight, aim for a normal BMI. Start by focusing on the first 10-percent reduction in weight. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs. and your target weight is 150 lbs. (a BMI of 25), focus on an initial weight loss of 20 pounds (10 percent), which will take you to 180 lbs. Your success will motivate you to continue your healthy eating and exercising habits.
It’s better to lose less weight and maintain that loss rather than “yo-yoing”— e.g., trying to lose too much weight and regaining it. Even a small weight loss can reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars, etc. You may lose more weight initially, but eventually the most you should be losing is one to two lbs. per week. Focus on body changes and clothing changes rather than the weight on the scale.
Tips for overall general eating
Read food labels, paying close attention to serving sizes. Look for foods with less saturated fat, more fiber, and less sugar. Pick foods rich in fiber to lower cholesterol, maintain/lose weight, lower/maintain blood glucose levels, keep you feeling full longer, and keep you regular.
Watch your salt. Canned, convenient foods, and fast foods are high in sodium. When cooking at home, rinse canned vegetables, read food labels when purchasing foods, pick seasonings without the word salt in them, and avoid adding salt at the dinner table.
Decrease sugar beverages. Drink 8 to 10 cups of water a day. Stay away from fruit juice, soda, punch, and alcohol. Watch refined sugars, and eat fruits instead of sweets.
You should also avoid diets that eliminate entire food groups and fad diets, which usually make you lose weight and gain double back. You should make small behavioral changes in order to maintain a healthy diet.
The amount of calories a person needs each day depends on many factors, including exercise. The No. 1 ingredient in a diet is to exercise at least 30 minutes every day. The goal is to work up to 60 minutes a day, which you can break up into a few sessions if necessary. Begin an exercise program gradually if physical activity is not part of your daily routine.
Look for additional tips, strategies, recipes, and/or guides to help with your weight-loss journey with our nutritional inserts created and written by Methodist Registered Dietitians. For more information, call a dietitian at 672-4970. TPW
Body image isn’t the only benefit of weight loss—health professionals agree weight loss can improve the following health conditions:
• Cardiovascular disease. A low-fat, low-cholesterol, high-fiber diet will lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and your weight, which may reduce the chances of heart disease.
• Diabetes. Weight loss can decrease the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. People living with diabetes can have better control over their blood sugar and lower their risks of other side effects by managing their weight and choosing an appropriate diet.
• Metabolic syndrome. Weight loss reduces your chances of having metabolic syndrome or will reduce your risk factors involved with it. Classification of metabolic syndrome includes high blood pressure, high lipids (cholesterol/triglycerides), and a large waist size.
• Artificial hip/knee surgery. The less body weight you have, the less stress that’s added to your hip or knee areas. Therefore, lower weight reduces your chances of needing surgery in the future.
• Sleep apnea. A reduction in weight means better air flow to the lungs and better sleep.
• Conception. Health professionals claim your chances to conceive are better at a healthier weight than for someone who is overweight.
• Some cancers. A diet rich in fiber, low in fat, and lower in animal products may lower the risk of some cancers.
• Illness/disease. A diet high in fruits and vegetables provides more antioxidants in your body to fight against illness and disease.
• Death. For every pound you’re overweight, your life expectancy decreases by one whole month. For example, if you’re 60 pounds overweight, you lose five years off your life.
The No. 1 benefit of losing weight is the quality of life you’ll enjoy. Start today by lowering your health risks, with a possibility of lowering your medications. A 10 percent reduction in weight will result in improving various health conditions.
Other reasons to lose weight
Financial benefits can result from:
• A decrease in visits to your physician and a decrease in the amount of medication you need.
• Health insurance companies offering rewards for adopting a healthier lifestyle (e.g., increasing exercise, weight reduction, and/ or smoking cessation).
• Being able to fit into old clothes that were too snug.
• Less expensive airfares (some airlines require people to buy two tickets if they can’t fit into one seat).
• Prizes—through “Losers Are Winners,” you and friends can win cash as the team losing the most weight.
• Self esteem/confidence improves by losing weight, and confidence results from daily exercise.
Am I overweight?
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a weight-to-height ratio, regardless of age. If you have a BMI above 25, you’re considered overweight and should think about losing weight. BMI may be affected by bone structure, family history, etc., and should only be used as a guide. If you aren’t sure if you’re overweight, ask a health professional.
How much weight should I be losing?
If you’re only a few pounds overweight, aim for a normal BMI. Start by focusing on the first 10-percent reduction in weight. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs. and your target weight is 150 lbs. (a BMI of 25), focus on an initial weight loss of 20 pounds (10 percent), which will take you to 180 lbs. Your success will motivate you to continue your healthy eating and exercising habits.
It’s better to lose less weight and maintain that loss rather than “yo-yoing”— e.g., trying to lose too much weight and regaining it. Even a small weight loss can reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars, etc. You may lose more weight initially, but eventually the most you should be losing is one to two lbs. per week. Focus on body changes and clothing changes rather than the weight on the scale.
Tips for overall general eating
Read food labels, paying close attention to serving sizes. Look for foods with less saturated fat, more fiber, and less sugar. Pick foods rich in fiber to lower cholesterol, maintain/lose weight, lower/maintain blood glucose levels, keep you feeling full longer, and keep you regular.
Watch your salt. Canned, convenient foods, and fast foods are high in sodium. When cooking at home, rinse canned vegetables, read food labels when purchasing foods, pick seasonings without the word salt in them, and avoid adding salt at the dinner table.
Decrease sugar beverages. Drink 8 to 10 cups of water a day. Stay away from fruit juice, soda, punch, and alcohol. Watch refined sugars, and eat fruits instead of sweets.
You should also avoid diets that eliminate entire food groups and fad diets, which usually make you lose weight and gain double back. You should make small behavioral changes in order to maintain a healthy diet.
The amount of calories a person needs each day depends on many factors, including exercise. The No. 1 ingredient in a diet is to exercise at least 30 minutes every day. The goal is to work up to 60 minutes a day, which you can break up into a few sessions if necessary. Begin an exercise program gradually if physical activity is not part of your daily routine.
Look for additional tips, strategies, recipes, and/or guides to help with your weight-loss journey with our nutritional inserts created and written by Methodist Registered Dietitians. For more information, call a dietitian at 672-4970. TPW