Watch Your Weight

The Basics To stay at a healthy weight, balance the calories you eat with the calories you burn (use up). To stay at a healthy weight, balance the calories you eat with the calories you burn (use up). To lose weight, you need to use more calories than you eat. A healthy diet and physical activity can help you control your weight.Calories are a measure of the energy in the foods you eat. You burn calories when you are physically active.How do I know if I’m eating the right number of calories? <a href="http://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate/index.aspx" >Use this tool to find out how many calories your body needs each day</a>. This is the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight. If you are overweight or obese, burn more calories than you eat to lose weight.How do I know if I’m at a healthy weight? Finding out your body mass index (BMI) is the best way to learn if you are at a healthy weight. <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html" >Use this Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator to find out your BMI and what it means for you</a>.If you are already at a healthy weight, continue to get regular physical activity and choose healthy foods.What can losing weight do for me? If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can lower your risk for serious health conditions like:<ul><li>Type 2 diabetes</li><li>Heart disease</li><li>High blood pressure</li><li>Early death</li></ul>Plus, eating healthy and being physically active can give you more energy throughout the day. Move more and eat healthy foods to help:<ul><li>Lower your blood pressure</li><li>Lower your blood sugar</li><li>Raise your “good” cholesterol</li><li>Lower your “bad” cholesterol</li></ul>You may start to see these benefits by losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight. For example, if you are 200 pounds, this could mean losing as little as 10 pounds.

Take Action! Keep a food and activity diary to help you learn more about your habits. Make a promise to eat well, move more, and get support from family and friends. If you need to lose weight, do it slowly over time.Remember that to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn.Set realistic goals. Start out by setting small goals, like:<ul ><li>I want to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.</li><li>I will add 10 minutes of physical activity to my daily routine.</li><li>I will avoid second helpings of meals this week.</li></ul>Keep a food and activity diary. Write down:<ul><li>When you eat</li><li>What you eat</li><li>How much you eat</li><li>Your physical activity</li></ul><a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/diaryint.htm" >Print a food and activity diary</a> or make your own. When you know your habits, it’s easier to make changes.<a href="http://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/ViewTopic.aspx?topicId=22">Get active</a>. Move more to balance the calories you take in with the calories you use.<ul ><li>Aim for 2 hours and 30 minutes of activity a week.</li><li>Try to be active for 30 minutes 5 times a week.</li><li>If you don’t have time for 30 minutes of activity, get moving for shorter 10-minute periods throughout the day.</li></ul>Remember that some physical activity is better than none. Check out these resources for tips and ideas:<ul ><li><a href="http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/active.htm" >Get tips on how to be active at any size</a>.</li><li><a href="http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Exercise_Counts.asp" >Find out how many calories your activity can burn</a>. </li></ul><a href="http://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/ViewTopic.aspx?topicId=21">Eat healthy</a>. Make your calories count. Use this interactive tool to <a href="http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/videos/CFSAN/HWM/hwmintro.cfm" >practice using the nutrition facts label</a> to make smart food choices.Here are some easy ways you can eat healthy.<ul ><li>Choose fat-free or low-fat versions of your favorite foods.</li><li>Drink water or fat-free milk instead of soda or other sugary drinks.</li><li>Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit.</li><li>When you eat out, ask for sauces or dressings “on the side” so you can control how much you use.</li><li><a href="http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/menuplanner/menu.cgi" >Try this menu planner for healthy meal ideas</a>. </li></ul>Eat smaller portions. Eating healthy food is important. But you also need to pay attention to how much food you eat. <a href="http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/portion.cgi?action=question&number=1" >Take the Portion Distortion Quiz to test your knowledge</a>. Here are some tips for watching your portions:<ul ><li>Start the day with a healthy breakfast.</li><li>Eat small, healthy snacks during the day. This will keep you from overeating at mealtimes.</li><li>Put a small amount of food in a bowl instead of eating out of the package or container.</li><li>Serve food on plates and leave the main dish on the stove. You will be less tempted to go back for seconds.</li><li>If you are eating out, only eat half of your meal. Take the other half home.</li><li>Read the label to find out how many servings are in a package. There may be more than one!</li><li>Eat slowly – this will give you time to feel full.</li><li>Don’t eat in front of the TV. It’s harder to keep track of how much you are eating.</li></ul><a href="http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet18EnjoyYourFood.pdf" >Get tips to help you enjoy your food while eating less [PDF - 520 KB]</a>.Ask your doctor for help. You may also want to talk to a doctor or nurse about different ways to lose weight. Your doctor can explain your options, like joining a weight-loss program. <a href="http://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/ViewTool.aspx?toolId=43">Check out these questions to ask your doctor about losing weight</a>.What about cost? Screening and counseling for obesity are covered under the <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/rights/preventive-care/index.html" >Affordable Care Act</a>, the health care reform law passed in 2010. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to get these services at no cost to you.Check with your insurance provider to find out what’s included in your plan. <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2010/07/preventive-services-list.html" >For information about other services covered by the Affordable Care Act, visit HealthCare.gov</a>.

Start Today: Small Steps <ul><li><a href="http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet1ChooseMyPlate.pdf">Get 10 tips for healthier eating [PDF - 926 KB]</a>.</li><li><a href="http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts//player.asp?f=11505">Listen to this podcast on how women can get to a healthy weight</a>.</li><li><a href="http://www.cancer.org/healthy/toolsandcalculators/quizzes/app/nutrition-activity-quiz">Take this nutrition and activity quiz</a>. </li></ul>