There
are lots of reasons for people who are overweight or obese
to lose weight. To be healthier. To look better. To feel better.
To have more energy. Set weigth loss goals.
No matter
what the reason, successful weight loss and
healthy weight management depend on sensible goals and expectations.
If you set sensible goals for yourself, chances are you'll
be more likely to meet them and have a better chance of keeping
the weight off. In fact, losing even five to 10 percent of
your weight is the kind of goal that can help improve your
health.
Most overweight
people should lose weight gradually. For safe and healthy
weight loss, try not to exceed a rate of
two pounds per week. Sometimes, people with serious health
problems associated with obesity may have legitimate reasons
for losing weight rapidly. If so, a physician's supervision
is required for weigth loss.
What you
weigh is the result of several factors:
- how
much and what kinds of food you eat
- whether
your lifestyle includes regular physical activity
- whether
you use food to respond to stress and other situations in
your life
- your
physiologic and genetic make-up
- your
age and health status.
Successful
weight loss and weight management should
address all of these factors. And that's the reason to ignore
products and programs that promise quick and easy results,
or that promise permanent results without permanent changes
in your lifestyle. Any ad that says you can lose weight without
lowering the calories you take in and/or increasing your physical
activity is selling fantasy and false hope. In fact, some
people would call it fraud. Furthermore, the use of some products
may not be safe.
A
Realistic Approach
Many people
who are overweight or obese have decided not to diet per se,
but to concentrate on engaging in regular physical activity
and maintaining healthy eating habits in accordance with the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, emphasizing lowered fat
consumption, and an increase in vegetables, fruits and whole
grains. Others — who try to diet — report needing
help to achieve their weight management goals.
Fad diets
that ignore the principles of the Dietary Guidelines may result
in short term weight loss, but may do so
at the risk of your health. How you go about managing
your weight has a lot to do with your long-term success. Unless
your health is seriously at risk due to complications from
being overweight or obese, gradual weight loss
should be your rule — and your goal.
Here's
how to do it:
- Check
with your doctor. Make sure that your health status allows
lowering your caloric intake and increasing your physical
activity.
- Follow
a calorie-reduced, but balanced diet that provides for as
little as one or two pounds of weight loss
a week. Be sure to include at least five servings a day
of fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, lean
meat and low fat dairy products. It may not produce headlines,
but it can reduce waistlines. It's not "miracle"
science — just common sense. Most important, it's prudent
and healthy.
- Make
time in your day for some form of physical activity. Start
by taking the stairs at work, walking up or down an escalator,
parking at the far end of a lot instead of cruising around
for the closest spot. Then, assuming your physician gives
the okay, gradually add some form of regular physical activity
that you enjoy. Walking is an excellent form of physical
activity that almost everyone can do.
- Consider
the benefits of moderate weight loss. There's
scientific evidence that losing five to 10 percent of your
weight and keeping it off can benefit your health —
lower your blood pressure, for example. If you are 5 feet
6 inches tall and weigh 180 pounds, and your goal weight
is 150, losing five to 10 percent (nine to 18 pounds) is
beneficial. When it comes to successful weight loss
and weight management, steady and slow can be the way to
go.
For many
people who are overweight or obese, long-term — and healthy
— weight loss management generally requires
sensible goals and a commitment to make realistic changes
in their lifestyle and improve their health. A lifestyle based
on healthy eating and regular physical activity can be a real
lifesaver.
Common typos:
wieght, weigth, weigh, weightloss, wieghtloss, weighloss,
los
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