Monday, June 21, 2010

 

Eating habits and exercise are keys to healthy weight

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can be a daunting task. The first question is where do you begin?

Start with determining whether you are overweight or not.

For women, it’s 100 pounds for the first five feet of height, and five pounds per inch above that. For example, 125 pounds would be healthy for a five-foot, five-inch female.

For men, it’s 106 pounds for the first five feet of height, and six pounds per inch above that. For a male who is six feet tall, a healthy weight would be 178 pounds.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) provides a healthy weight range, determines if your weight is considered overweight or if your weight is considered obese.

Losing weight safely is always a balancing act, and keeping it off can be even harder. The bottom line is to lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than you expend.

Crash diets aren’t going to work in the long run. You need to be in it for the long haul, so if you eat 250 calories less per day you could lose a 1⁄2 pound per week, or 500 calories less per day would equal 1 pound of weight loss per week. If you do this, and are physically active for 30-60 minutes per day, you should be in good shape.

Losing weight isn’t just about the calories and exercise – eating healthy is a must. That’s why I recommend that you become familiar with the Food Guide Pyramid at www.mypyramid.gov.

It offers information on grains, portion control, vegetables, fruits, meats/beans, milk and fats.

Speaking of fats, they aren’t off limits. You actually need fats in your diet. But if you can, try to get most of your fats from fish, nuts and vegetable oils. Limit solid fats, such as butter and margarine.

Reading nutrition labels is also important. Check them closely to avoid saturated fats, trans fats, sodium and food with lots of added sugar.

If you would like to learn more about healthy eating, please attend Backus Hospital’s “Ask the Dietitian” session on June 23 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Plainfield Recreation Department. Part of the hospital’s ongoing Enjoy LIFE (Lifelong Investment in Fitness and Exercise) series, you can register by calling 860-889-8331, ext. 2495. See you there!

Sarah Hospod is a registered dietitian in the Food and Nutrition Department at The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Hospod or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

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