Weight

Watch Your Weight!
Source: National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Office of Research on Minority Health

"My husband Juan and I both need to work two jobs. We were so busy that we used to eat on the run. I used to eat a doughnut in the car for breakfast. For lunch Juan would just grab a candy bar and soda. We were both so hungry at night that we would gobble down big portions of fried meat and rice. Eating all these high-fat foods made us gain weight. We made changes in what we ate and became more active each day. Finally, we got our weight back under control."

–Lupe Martinez

Here are some of the changes Juan and Lupe made. These tips can work for you, too!

Plan ahead…

1. Get up 15 minutes early in the morning. Eat breakfast at
home. Include fruit, bread, and skim milk.

2. Prepare a healthy lunch the night before. Include
grains, fruits, vegetables, and small portions of
leftovers.

3. Take a piece of fruit to snack on in between jobs. Drink
water instead of soda.

4. Eat smaller portions at dinner. Add a salad with low fat
dressing and add vegetables.

5. Get active at work, at home, and in your spare time. Walk or use the stairs instead of the elevator.

Eat a variety of foods.

Choose foods low in fat and low in calories. Try:

* Skim milk or 1% milk

* Cheeses marked "low fat" or "fat free" on the package

* Fruits and vegetables without butter or sauce

* Rice, beans, cereals, corn tortillas, and pasta

* Lean cuts of meat, fish, and skinless turkey and chicken

Make foods the healthy way.

* Bake, broil, or boil foods instead of frying.

* Cook beans and rice without lard, bacon, or fatty meats.

* Use less high-fat cheeses, cream, and butter when cooking.

* Use cooking oil spray or a little bit of vegetable oil or
margarine when cooking.

* Garnish salads with low fat or fat free mayonnaise and
salad dressings.

Limit your portion size.

* Serve small portions–do not go back for seconds.

* Eat smaller healthy meals and healthy snacks throughout
the day instead of one big meal.

Get active! Don’t make excuses!

* Do your favorite physical activity for at least 30 minutes
each day. You can do 10 minutes of activity three times a
day.

Try this: If you are pressed for time, walk for 10
minutes three times a day.

Aim for a healthy weight.

* Try not to gain extra weight. If you are overweight, try
to lose weight slowly. Lose about one-half to 1 pound a
week until you reach a healthy weight.

* A safe and healthy way to lose weight is to eat less fat
and fewer calories. Also limit your portion size and be
active every day.

Aim for a healthy weight! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
NIH Publication No. 96-4047
September 1996


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