2001 Volunteer Leader Training Guide
Healthy Weighs Eating Well, Living Well
Ten Tips for a Healthy Weight
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Human beings come in a variety of sizes and shapes. There is no
ideal body size, shape or weight that every individual should be. People of all
sizes and shapes can reduce their risk of poor health by adopting a healthy
lifestyle. Below are some tips that can help you take care of your body so you
can be fit and healthy.
• Choose nutrient-dense, not calorie-dense foods.
Nutrient-dense foods are those that have a lot of nutrients
for the calories you get.
Example: Broccoli has vitamins A and C, fiber and phytochemicals (plant
substances that aren’t nutrients but are beneficial to health) and only 8
calories per ounce.
Calorie-dense foods are those that have a lot of calories for
the weight of the food.
Example: Potato chips have little vitamins, fiber or phytochemicals and
provide 150 calories per ounce.
• Shrink your serving sizes.
Restaurant serving sizes have gotten bigger and people have
become accustomed to these larger amounts. Become familiar with recommended
serving sizes and stick to that amount of food.
• Let the Food Guide Pyramid guide your choices.
Use plant foods as the foundation of your meals and accompany
these with moderate amounts of low-fat choices from the dairy and meat groups.
Go easy on foods high in fat or sugars.
• Curb liquid calories.
Liquid calories don’t trigger our satiety mechanism, so it is
easy to get lots of extra calories through calorie-containing beverages. With
the exception of fat-free milk and fruit juices, drink beverages that don’t
contain calories most of the time.
• Make movement part of your life.
We have sedentary jobs, more cars, more computers, more
televisions and more labor-saving conveniences that keep us from physically
moving as much as we should. Simple changes such as using the stairs and parking
at the far end of the parking lot are often more acceptable than joining a gym.
Activities like gardening, raking leaves, mowing the lawn and doing housework
also count.
• Keep moving to keep from gaining.
Keeping weight off is easier if you exercise. People who lose
weight and keep it off expend an average of 2,800 calories a week exercising.
That is equal to walking three to four miles a day.
• Break exercise into shorter segments.
People who exercise in shorter bouts are more likely to stick
with it. If you don’t have 40 minutes a day to exercise, try to find 10 minutes
four times a day.
• Find a friend.
Healthy living loves company. Eating less and exercising more is
easier if you do it with a friend.
• Set realistic goals.
People can usually reduce their weight by 10 to 15 percent with
behavior modification programs. It is difficult to lose more than that and keep
it off.
• Think healthy, not skinny.
You can be "fit and fat" if you eat healthfully and move enough.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and whole-grain foods. Make sure you choose
lowfat or fat-free dairy products and lean meats, poultry and fish. Accumulate
at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days.
References:
Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 5th edition,
2000, USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232.
Nutrition Action Healthletter, July/August 1999.
Rosemary Rodibaugh, Ph.D., R.D., Extension Nutrition Specialist
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