How can I follow a healthy eating plan?
Better Health Tips for Adults
Eat breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day.
Choose whole grains more often. Try wholegrain breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice, or bulgur.
Choose fresh fruit more often than fruit juice.
Fruit juice has little or no fiber, the calories may be high, and many juices have added sugar. Use fats and oils sparingly. Olive, canola, and peanut oils; avocados; nuts and seeds; olives;
and fish provide heart-healthy fat as well as vitamins and minerals.
Limit foods and beverages that are high in sugar.
• oatmeal with low-fat or fat-free milk or a soy-based drink, topped with walnuts and fresh or dried fruit
• a slice of whole-wheat toast with a thin piece of low-fat cheese • fruit smoothie made with frozen fruit and low-fat yogurt
• high-fiber, low-sugar cereal with a soy-based beverage or fat-free milk
How much weight should I lose?
- While it depends on a lot of factors, even a small change in weight has many health benefits. A weight loss of 5 to 7 percent of your body weight over 6 months or longer has
been shown to improve health. - Use a food diary to track what you eat To keep a food diary, write down all the food you eat in a day. Also write down the time you eat and your feelings at the time.
- Writing down your feelings may help you identify your eating triggers. For example, you may notice that you sometimes overeat when you are in a big group, simply because everyone around you is eating.
- The next time you are eating with a big group, be mindful of that trigger and try to limit how much you eat.
What can I do to lose weight?
What defines a healthy weight varies from person to person. Ask your health care provider about what a healthy weight is for you. If you are overweight or are experiencing health problems linked to overweight or obesity, consider a weight loss reduction program under medical supervision such as the W8MD’s insurance physician weight loss program.
