GETTING TO YOUR HEALTHY WEIGHT
With the New Year, many make resolutions to lose weight and get in shape. Here are a few tips to help you establish and maintain your 1997 resolution:
1. Establish Your Healthy Weight Goal. Recognize your body type.
| Body Type | Description | Body Shape |
| ENDOMORPH | Has a rounded, soft body. Weight is usually carried below the waistline. | Pear |
| MESOMORPH | Has a square body with broad shoulders, definite muscles, and large bones. | Inverted Triangle |
| ECTOMORPH | Has a linear body type with thin muscles and small bones. | Thin |
Remember, you cannot change your body type no matter how much you diet or exercise.Establish the weight at which you feel healthy.
This weight may or may not be the same weight as stated in the weight charts.
- A rule of thumb for men is 106 pounds for the first five feet of height. After that, add 6 pounds per inch of height.
- For women, a 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height. Then add 5 pounds per inch of height.
- Once you establish this weight, a variation of plus or minus 10% will give you the standard range for all body types. For example, a 5 foot 4 inch women should weigh 100 pounds for 5 feet plus 20 pounds for the four inches over 5 feet. Then 10% of 120 pounds plus or minus would be equivalent to 108 to 132 pounds (120 +12 = 132 and 120 - 12 = 108). Therefore the weight range for this example is 108 - 132 pounds.
2. Stick To A Low-Fat, Low-Calorie Regimen. Tips to help you reach your goal include:
4. Increase Your Calorie Expenditure With Exercise
- Plan your meals by using low fat cookbooks and products available. (light mayonnaise, instead of regular mayonnaise; fat free yogurt for sour cream).
- Take your lunch to work or opt for healthy offerings in the cafeteria.
- Stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables; whole grain breads and cereals; low or non-fat dairy products; and lean meat, fish, and chicken.
- Fill up on high fiber foods such as fresh fruits and raw vegetables (no dressing or low fat dressing substitute if you wish).
- Watch portion sizes. A 3 ounce portion of meat is visually about the size and thickness as a deck of cards. A 1/2 cup serving of vegetables or starch is equivalent to what you can hold in a "cupped" hand.
- Bake, broil, and grill instead of frying.
- Remove skin from chicken or extra fat on meat after cooking.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
- Think small when eating at fast food restaurants. Order small burger, fries, etc. if you must. Avoid fast foods whenever possible.
- Try low-fat desserts such as sherbet, fresh fruit, jello, angel food cake or nonfat frozen yogurt.
- Avoid or dilute alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is very high in calories and provides no other nutritive value. Consider trying half wine mixed with half soda water for a spritzer. Use only non-caloric mixers such as water, soda, or diet sodas as mixers. Consider "light" beer over regular beer. Remember alcohol calories should not replace nutrient dense calories from healthy foods especially when you are restricting your calorie intake during dieting.
- See a registered dietitian to map out your low-fat plan.
5. Monitor Your Progress
- Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator. Take a walk after dinner instead of watching television.
- Visit your local health club and select the activities you enjoy doing. Chances are you will stick with your regimen if it is convenient and you enjoy it.
- Experts recommend a minimum of three sessions weekly of physical exercise to elevate your heart rate for 30 minutes or more to improve cardiovascular fitness.
- Remember that muscle weighs more than fat. As your muscle mass increases, your weight may stay the same, but your clothes size will decrease.
6. Solicit Support
- Weigh yourself weekly. Try using the same scale, at the same time, on the same day. Keep a log or chart your progress on a graph.
- Aim for slow progressive loss, never more than 2 pounds per week. Remember it took a while to put the weight on, it will take at least the same time to take it off.
- Solicit the support of friends, family, and healthcare professionals. Tell everyone you know what your goals are and enlist there help.
- Seek the services of a registered dietitian and weight loss groups to learn more about the weight loss/maintenance process. They will also help to keep you motivated and focus.
Good luck on achieving your goals!
Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year!
