Maintaining a
Healthy Weight
What is a Healthy Weight?
According to the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute there are three key
measures of overweight:
• Body mass index (BMI).
• Waist circumference.
• Risk factors for diseases and conditions
associated with obesity.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI is a measure of your weight relative to
your height. It is a reliable indicator of
health-related factors such as obesity and
physical fitness, but:
• It may overestimate body fat in athletes and
others with a muscular build.
• It may underestimate body fat in older
persons and others who have lost muscle.
Body Mass Index
BMI tables or
calculators may be
used to determine
body mass index.
A BMI calculator may
be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/nc
cdphp/dnpa/bmi/calcbmi.htm.
BMI
Weight
Status
Below 18.5
Underweight
18.5-24.9
Normal
25.0-29.9
Overweight
Waist Measurement
Excess fat in the abdomen is an
independent risk factor for disease.
• Women with a waist measurement over 35
inches are at risk.
• Men with a waist measurement over 40
inches are at risk.
Other Risk Factors
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
High blood pressure.
High LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol.
Low HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol.
High triglycerides.
High blood glucose.
Family history of heart disease.
Physical inactivity.
Cigarette smoking.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
through Nutrition
• Lose a few pounds if
overweight.
• Watch portion sizes.
• Learn to prepare your
favorite recipes with lower
fat and calories.
• Eat plenty of foods rich in
fiber.
• Drink enough water.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
through Nutrition
• Consume foods at the
table.
• Avoid snacking after
evening meal.
• Switch to sugar-free
beverages.
How to Lose One Pound
ONE POUND = 3,500 CALORIES
To lose one pound in a week, burn 3,500 more calories
than eaten.
• Reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories a day, or
• Exercise to burn 500 more calories per day, or
• Eat fewer calories and exercise more.
How to Lose One Pound
How many calories does your food contain?
• 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories.
(3 ounces of lean beef has 143 calories)
• 1 gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories.
(1 slice of bread has 70 calories)
• 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories.
(1 teaspoon of margarine has 35 calories)
• 1 gram of alcohol contains 7 calories.
(12 ounces of beer has 150 calories, 3.5 ounces
of wine has 85 calories)
Dietary Concerns
Reduce your risk for heart disease, high
blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and other
diseases through a healthy eating plan.
Choosing Healthy Foods
• Follow the USDA Dietary
Guidelines.
• Eat a minimum of 5
servings of fruits and
vegetables a day.
• Choose 3 to 5 whole
grain servings a day.
Watching Portion Sizes…
We are eating too much!
• Sixty-one percent of Americans are either overweight
or obese.
• Table-service restaurants now serve from 12-inch
plates rather than the standard 10-inch plates.
• Americans eat 148 more calories per day compared to
10 years ago, although the percent of fat in the
average diet is down from 40 percent to 33 percent.
• Sixty-two percent of Americans are unaware that
commonly served portion sizes have increased in the
last 10 years.
Watching Portion Sizes…
Do you know the serving sizes
for these common foods?
• Pasta = ½ cup
• Green salad = 1 cup
• Beans = ½ cup
• Mashed potatoes = ½
cup
• In the American
Institute for Cancer
Research survey, only
1 percent of
respondents correctly
answered all eight
serving-size questions.
• These portions are
standardized according
to the USDA Dietary
Guidelines for
Americans.
Watching Portion Sizes
Food
Spaghetti
Garlic bread
Tomato sauce
Meatballs
Portion Serving size # Servings
½ cup
4
2 cups
1 slice
2
2 slices
½ cup
2
1 cup
6 ounces 2 to 3 ounces 2 to 3
Do you know how many servings
you ate for dinner?
Know Your Portion Sizes
• Grains Group (1-ounce equivalent)
– 1 slice of bread
(70 calories)
– About 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal
(plain corn flakes = 100 calories)
– ½ cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
(95 calories)
• Vegetable and Fruit Groups
–
–
–
–
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
½ cup of cooked vegetables
¾ cup of fruit or vegetable juice
1 medium apple, banana, orange, or pear
(10 calories)
(20 calories)
(90 calories)
(90 calories)
Know Your Portion Sizes
• Milk Group
– 1 cup of milk or yogurt
(1 cup skim milk = 90 calories)
– 1½ ounces of cheese
(155 calories)
– 2 ounces of processed cheese
(155 calories)
• Meat and Beans Group
– 2 to 3 ounces of cooked meat, poultry, or fish
(3 ounces lean beef = 143 calories)
– ½ cup of cooked dry beans
(105 calories)
– 1/3 cup of nuts
(260 calories)
– 1 egg
(80 calories)
Know Your Portion Sizes
One cupped hand =
1 ounce nuts or small candies
Know Your Portion Sizes
Two cupped hands =
1 ounce chips, pretzels, or dry cereal
product
Know Your Portion Sizes
Palm only = 3 ounces meat
Know Your Portion Sizes
A fist = 1 cup of pasta or cereal.
1 cup of green salad .
1 medium sized fruit.
1 cup of cut up fruit.
Know Your Portion Sizes
One thumb =
1 ounce of cheese or
1 tablespoon of peanut butter.
Thumb tip =
1 teaspoon of oil,
1 teaspoon of margarine, or
1 teaspoon of mayonnaise.
Beware of Larger Sizes
(comparison of portion sizes,
now and ten years ago)
Food
Then
Now
French fries
2 ounces
More than
4 ounces
Deli bagel
2 ounces
4 to 7 ounces
Muffin
2 ounces
6 to 8 ounces
Soda
6 ½ ounces
12 to 20
ounces
Chips
½ to 1 ounce
2 to 4 ounces
Candy bar
1 ½ ounce
2 to 4 ounces
Would you like to
“super-size”?
• “Value meals”, “combo meals”, and
“super-sizing” are used for profit by the
food companies.
• When people are served more food, they
eat more food.
• For a small price, you get more calories
and saturated fat.
Tips for Controlling Portions
• At home:
– Measure out single servings to know what they
look like.
– Avoid serving food “family style” and do not have
second servings.
– Try using a smaller plate for your meal.
– Place portions in a serving dish
and never eat out of a bag
or a carton.
Tips for Controlling Portions
• Eating out:
– Ask for half or smaller portions.
– Ask for salad dressing to be served “on the
side”.
– Order from the menu rather than the
“all-you-can-eat” buffet.
– Know the size of an appropriate portion and set
the rest aside to take home.
– If you order dessert, share!
Adopt Healthier Eating Habits
in Your Life
Are you eating a lot of food that is
high in fat and sugar? These foods
can:
•
•
•
•
add calories to your diet.
raise your blood cholesterol.
raise your triglycerides.
lead to an increased risk for
heart disease and diabetes.
Lowering Fat
• Instead of frying, try these methods:
– Roasting, Baking or Broiling - Use a rack to
drain off the fat. Use a low roasting
temperature to increase fat drip-off.
– Steaming.
– Grilling.
– Microwaving in small amounts of water
or fat-free broth.
– Cook stews, soups and meat dishes
in advance; refrigerate and remove hardened
fat from the top.
– Brown meat under the broiler instead of in a
pan.
Tips to Lower Fat and Saturated Fat
• Use low-fat cooking methods.
• Use substitutes for high-fat seasonings.
• Avoid fried foods and prepared foods with a
breaded coating.
• Avoid high-fat meats and processed foods;
use chicken, fish turkey, low-fat red meat,
and pork.
• Use spices and low-fat or fat-free products to
flavor foods:
– Garlic powder, basil, onion powder, spice blends.
Reducing Sugar
• Drink water or sugar-free
beverages.
• Choose healthier desserts.
–
–
–
–
Yogurt and low-fat & low-sugar frozen desserts.
Include more fresh fruit.
Angel food or sponge cake with fruit.
Learn to adapt recipes to reduce sugar and fat.
Reducing Sugar
• Try reducing the amount of sugar in a
recipe and adding a small amount of
vanilla, cinnamon or nutmeg to enhance
the sweet flavor.
• Try using sugar substitutes in recipes.
Some granular products pour and
measure just like sugar. If using liquid
products, 10 drops = 1 teaspoon sugar.
Reducing Sugar
Here are some commonly available sugar
substitutes:
– Saccharin: Loses sweetness when heated over
104 ˚F. (Sweet and Low)
– Aspartame: Contains phenylalanine. This
substitute is a concern for individuals with PKU.
It is good for cooking and baking. (Equal)
– Sucralose: Very good for cooking and baking.
(Splenda)
Eating Plenty of Fiber
What is fiber?
Fiber is the part of plants that cannot
be digested. It contains no calories.
There are two kinds of fiber:
1. Water soluble fiber dissolves to
become viscous or gummy.
2. Insoluble fiber passes through our
intestines largely intact.
Eating Plenty of Fiber
What does fiber do for me?
• Helps me feel full (insoluble).
• Prevents constipation (insoluble).
• Removes toxins from the colon in less time
(insoluble).
• May help prevent some types of cancer
(insoluble).
• Binds cholesterol in the intestines (water
soluble).
• Helps regulate blood sugar levels (water
soluble).
Eating Plenty of Fiber
How much do I need?
AGE
1 to 3 years
4 to 8 years
9 to 13 years
14 to 50 years
51 + years
Pregnancy
MALE
19 grams
25 grams
31 grams
38 grams
31 grams
FEMALE
19 grams
25 grams
26 grams
25 grams
21 grams
28 grams
Eating Plenty of Fiber
The average American consumes
7 to 14 grams of fiber daily.
How can I get more?
• Eat fruits and vegetables with edible skins
and seeds.
• Eat whole grains, with bran still intact.
• Eat more beans and legumes.
Eating Plenty of Fiber
• The 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines
for Americans recommend adults eat
three 1-ounce equivalents per day of
whole-grain foods, preferably in place
of refined grains.
• In other words, at least half of our
bread servings should be whole grain.
Eating Plenty of Fiber
How do I know if it’s whole grain?
Whole grain should be the first ingredient
listed on the food label.
The following are NOT whole grain:
• Wheat flour
• Enriched flour
• Degerminated cornmeal
Eating Plenty of Fiber
These are whole grains:
Brown rice.
Bulgur.
Oatmeal.
Graham flour.
Popcorn.
Pearl barley.
Whole grain corn.
Whole oats.
Whole rye.
Whole wheat.
Drinking Enough Water
Why do I need water?
• Blood is 83 percent water. Blood moves
nutrients, hormones, enzymes, oxygen
and other materials to our cells and carries
away waste products.
• Lubrication. Water is needed in the linings
of organs, between organs, and within
joints to reduce friction.
Drinking Enough Water
Why do I need water?
• Water is present in the digestive fluids that
break down food. Water also helps to
transport food through the digestive
system.
• Water helps regulate body temperature.
• Water is necessary for many synthetic
reactions within our bodies, such as
building hormones.
• Water removes waste from our bodies.
Drinking Enough Water
• Fiber binds water in our intestines.
• Caffeinated beverages like coffee,
tea, and soft drinks cause excretion of
water.
• Alcoholic beverages cause water loss
through excretion.
• Water is lost through perspiration and
respiration.
Drinking Enough Water
• Adults typically need 6 to 8 cups of water
or fluid each day.
• Amount depends upon:
 Body size.
 Level of physical activity.
 Age.
 Overall health.
 Climate.
Regular Physical Activity
Can Help You to Stay
Healthy and
Maintain a Reasonable
Weight
The Benefits of Physical Activity
• Burns calories, which can lead to weight
loss.
• Helps your body use blood sugar more
efficiently.
• Improves blood flow and blood pressure.
• Improves cholesterol levels.
• Increases feelings of well-being and can
give you energy.
• Reduces stress levels.
How Much Physical Activity
Do I Need?
• Thirty minutes of moderate, physical activity
most days of the week.
– Try to fit in activity everyday.
– Can be split into three 10-minute sessions.
• Be creative with a variety of activities.
– Try resistance training activities at least two times per
week for muscle strength and endurance.
– Try activities that focus on flexibility at least two times
per week to help your body be limber and move
easily.
What is Moderate Activity?
Basic guidelines:
Should get your heart beating faster.
Should still be able to carry on a
conversation during the activity.
Types of Activities:
What counts?
• Everyday activities.
• Aerobic activities.
• Resistance training.
• Flexibility training.
Everyday Activities
Lead to an overall healthy and active
lifestyle:
• Parking further away.
• Walking to the mailbox.
• Getting up to change the channel instead of using
the remote.
• Straightening the house during commercial breaks
of your favorite show.
• Making more trips when carrying shopping bags
into your home.
Aerobic Activities
• Includes activities that get your heart pumping
for at least 10 minutes.
– You must do an activity for at least 10 minutes for it to
count toward your daily goal of 30 minutes.
• Some common aerobic activities:
–
–
–
–
–
Walking.
Biking.
Some sports such as soccer.
Vigorous chores such as washing the car by hand.
Stair climbing.
Resistance Training
• Makes muscles and bones stronger.
• Makes daily activities, like lifting boxes or carrying
bags, easier.
• Examples include:
• Lifting light weights, such as dumbbells.
• Lifting homemade weights, such as canned goods or old milk
jugs filled with sand or water.
• Using elastic exercise bands or tubes.
• Using own body weight.
– Push ups.
– Pull ups.
– Crunches.
Flexibility Training
• Improves the range of motion of joints,
keeps the body flexible and makes
movements, such as bending and
reaching, easier.
• Examples include:
•
•
•
•
Stretching.
Yoga.
Martial arts.
Dance such as ballet.
Keeping Activity Safe
• Get a checkup from your doctor before
beginning a physical activity program.
• Always warm up and cool down.
– Try marching in place for 5 minutes and then light
stretching to warm up.
– March in place for 5 minutes, letting your heart rate
return to normal, for a cool down.
• Start out slowly.
• Stop right away if you feel dizzy, short of breath,
sick to your stomach, or in pain. Seek help
immediately if condition worsens.
Stick With It!
• Choose an activity you enjoy.
• Find a buddy to be active with you.
• Set goals you can reach.
• Choose low cost activities.
• Look into free or low cost exercise classes in your
area.
• Rent exercise videos at your local library.
• Use your neighborhood or community parks for
your activity.
Exercise won’t just happen;
You have to plan for it!
How to Lose One Pound
How many calories do you use in activity?
DAILY ACTIVITY
Jogging
Bicycling
House Cleaning
Cooking
CALORIES / HOUR____
Male
630
600
340
200
Female
560
420
240
150
Getting Support
• Make it a family goal to
adopt healthier habits.
• Include family and
friends – it’s good for
them!
Stress Management
• Take time to relax.
• Pace yourself and activities you
are involved in.
• Get enough sleep each night.
Setting Personal Goals
• Follow the serving sizes.
• Eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits and
vegetables each day.
• Lose weight if overweight.
• Pack lunches instead of eating out.
• Cut back on fat intake.
• Be physically active.
• Get annual physical.
• Practice stress management techniques.
Setting Personal Goals
Set three personal goals to
improve your health.
Examples:
1. To lose 10 pounds by cutting out 500
calories a day.
2. To begin an exercise program by walking 5
days a week for 10 to 15 minutes,
gradually increasing to 30 minutes per day.
3. To drink diet instead of regular soft drinks.
Prevention
If there was a vaccine to prevent
diabetes, heart disease or cancer,
would you take it?
It is Up to You!
The next best thing to a
vaccine is:
•Regular physical activity.
•Eating well.
•Maintaining a healthy
weight.
Materials for this presentation adapted with special permission from the
Diabetes Self-Management Training Curriculum, Power of Prevention
Section.
Prepared by:
Jackie R. Walters, MBA, RD, LD
University of Kentucky
Extension Specialist for Nutrition Education Programs
Lori Rice, MS, CN
University of Kentucky
Program Coordinator for Health Education through
Extension Leadership
December 2006