Healthy Weight Center

Weight Loss the Safe and Sensible Way: Changes to Last a Lifetime!

Although NetWellness experts cannot recommend a specific weight or disease management plan for you, they can offer, however, the following general guidelines for weight loss.

For Adults:

Be sure to get medical clearance from your doctor before starting ANY new diet or exercise routine.
For individualized help, contact a registered dietitian and a qualified exercise professional. These professionals, working with your doctor, can tailor your diet and exercise routine to your individual needs and preferences. You can locate a registered dietitian who works in your local area at the American Dietetic Association?s website, http://www.eatright.org/. Check the American College of Sports Medicine Profinder for exercise professionals who have achieved the "Gold Standard" in credentialing.
Reaching a healthy weight should be a gradual, safe process instead of a quick weight loss. The goal is to change unhelpful habits into helpful ones, so the resulting weight loss will be for a lifetime. Depending upon how overweight you currently are, between ½ to 2 pounds per week would be a reasonable goal.
Weight loss requires an adjustment in your daily activity and diet habits. Physical activity is key to burning calories and increasing muscle mass (which increases our metabolism, or basal metabolic rate). So you will benefit by increasing your level of physical activity. Try to engage in some type of activity ? above and beyond your usual/routine daily activities - every day.
Gradually increase the exertion and length of time that you exercise as you progress toward the recommendation of 30-60 minutes of activity per day. If you are overweight and sedentary (don?t currently exercise very much), you will need to make small increases in activity, perhaps by engaging in several brief bouts of activity throughout the day, as you transition toward a more active lifestyle.
Walking, running, swimming, and biking are just a few ways you can improve your cardiovascular health while burning calories. In addition, resistance exercises (including lifting weights) will help you build muscle mass and burn even more calories over time.
For more information about becoming more physically active, refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Physical Activity Guidelines for healthy adults.
In addition to increasing your physical activity, you should modestly decrease your caloric intake to lose weight. Visit the website http://www.mypyramid.gov/ and click on MyPyramid Plan. Then enter your gender, age, weight, height, and level of physical activity. You will discover your calorie needs per day. To lose one pound per week (on average), you will need to create a 500 kcal deficit each day through a combination of diet and exercise.
Do not attempt to make huge changes in your diet. Small changes in the types and amount of foods and beverages can lead to a healthier, lower calorie diet as well as help you keep these changes for a lifetime of good health. Your diet should include a variety of healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and an assortment of lean meat, fish, poultry, beans, peas, lentils, and nuts.
Also, don't skip meals. If you eat 4-5 small meals or snacks per day, your blood sugar and appetite will be better controlled.
Keep a food journal and write down everything that you eat and drink. Doing this will increase your awareness and can help you to stay on your diet plan. You can also enter your food and beverages into the MyPyramid Tracker at http://www.mypyramid.gov/ to determine how many calories and nutrients you are consuming everyday.
Listen to your body. Get to know when you are feeling real hunger (vs. eating for any other reason) and when you feel comfortably full but not to the point of feeling "stuffed".

For Children:

If you have questions or concerns about your child's weight, set up an appointment with your child's physician. At the visit, your child's physician will review his/her growth, screen for any weight-related problems, and help you take small steps toward adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors. Remember, for your child to be successful at maintaining a healthy weight, any intervention will need to involve the whole family. You are the role model. For resources, visit our Kids Corner in our Healthy Weight Center.

Best of luck!

For More Information:
Please visit the many tools and supportive materials in our Healthy Weight Center.