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You don't have to stop eating chocolate cake or start running marathons to improve your health. Making small but steady changes in your eating and physical activity habits—over time—may help you lose weight if you need to, feel better, and improve your health. The information below can help you start to change your physical activity and eating habits. When you make changes to improve your health, you may also move your friends and family to do the same.
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| Am I overweight? |
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| What if I think I look fine? |
Even if you are overweight according to charts and measures, you may like the size and shape of your body and not want to lose weight. Your friends and family may think you look great too.
But the health benefits of getting fit and eating well are clear. Once you decide to lose weight, your loved ones may want to join you on your journey to better health.
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| Am I risking my health by being overweight? |
Being overweight can be dangerous to your health. If you are overweight or obese, you are more likely to develop:
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type 2 diabetes
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high blood pressure
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heart disease
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certain forms of cancer.
You can help lower your risk for many health problems by losing weight. Losing 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can help improve your health. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing 10 to 20 pounds may help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol level. Slow and steady weight loss of 1/2 to 2 pounds per week is the safest way to lose weight.
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| How do I start to lose weight and improve my health?
If you are a man and over age 40 or a woman and over age 50, or have chronic health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, or obesity, talk to your health care provider before starting a vigorous physical activity program. | To start towards a healthy weight and improve your health, try to:
Be more physically active
Regular moderate-intensity physical activity can be fun and help you feel great. When you share physical activity with your friends and family, it can also be a social event. Make it your goal to try to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, or better yet, all days of the week. You may need to be physically active for more than 30 minutes a day to help you lose and keep off extra weight.
What is moderate-intensity activity?
Sometimes starting and sticking with a physical activity program can be a challenge. Figuring out how to beat your physical activity roadblocks may make it easier for you to get and stay active.
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Beat your physical activity roadblocks! |
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If you . . . |
Then try . . . |
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Sharing physical activities such as walking, biking, or playing tag with your child each day |
Do not have time or are too busy to be physically active |
Doing 10 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity three times a day, or putting more energy than normal into activities like housework, yardwork, and playing with the kids. |
Do not like or do not want to exercise |
Doing something you enjoy like dancing to the radio, or planning active outings with a friend, family member, or group |
| Do not feel safe being physically active in your neighborhood |
Forming a group of people to walk, jog, or bike together, working out with videos in your home, or walking in a shopping mall.
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Tips for Active Women
You can be active and still keep your hairstyle. Talk to your hairstylist about a hair care routine and style that fit your active life. You might try wearing:
—a natural hairstyle
—a style that can be wrapped or pulled back
—a short haircut
—braids, twists, or locks.
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Eat healthier
When you begin to change your eating habits to improve your health, try to:
Make healthier food choices
A healthy eating plan includes a wide variety of foods from five food groups. Let the Food Guide Pyramid help guide your food choices. Use the Food Guide Pyramid to guide the number of daily servings you eat from each food group. A range of serving numbers is given for each Pyramid food group.
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The smaller number is for people who eat about 1,600 calories a day, such as women who are not physically active.*
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Active women and most men need about 2,200 calories a day and should choose a mid-range number of servings.
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The larger number is for people who eat about 2,800 calories a day, such as active men.
Improving your eating plan may take time. Changing favorite foods may be one of the most difficult parts. To enjoy tasty, lower-fat versions of some favorite foods, try the suggestions listed in this publication.
* Children, teenagers, and adults under age 25 should choose 3 daily servings from the milk, yogurt, and cheese group to meet nutritional needs.
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| The Food Guide Pyramid
Bread, cereal, rice, & pasta group (6-11 servings)
Vegetable group (3-5 servings)
Fruit group (2-4 servings)
Milk, yogurt, & cheese group (2-3 servings)
Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, & nuts group (2-3 servings)
Fats, oils, & sweets (use sparingly) | 
Note: A range of servings is given for each group. The smaller number is for people who consume about 1,600 calories a day, such as inactive women. The larger number is for those who eat about 2,800 calories a day, such as teenage boys, active men, and very active women.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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| What counts as a serving?
| Bread, Cereal, Rice, & Pasta Group
- 1 slice of bread
- 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal
- 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
Vegetable Group
- 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
- 1/2 cup of other vegetables—cooked or chopped raw
- 3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Fruit Group
- 1 medium apple, banana, or orange
- 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
- 3/4 cup of fruit juice
Milk, Yogurt, & Cheese Group
- 1 cup of milk or yogurt
- 11/2 ounces of natural cheese
- 2 ounces of processed cheese (1 ounce is about the size of your thumb)
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, & Nuts Group
- 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish (3 ounces is about the size of a deck of cards)
- 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 1 egg counts as 1 ounce of lean meat. Two tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts counts as 1 ounce of meat
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| Eat just enough for you.
To lose weight, learn to eat fewer calories. Do this by selecting foods that are lower in fat and calories from each food group. | A healthy eating plan calls for making healthy food choices and eating just enough for you. Larger servings of food have more calories. Eating more calories than your body needs leads to weight gain.
Learning about the serving sizes of foods can help you eat just enough for you. Try to measure your food for a few days. This can help you learn to recognize what one serving of a food, such as 1/2 cup of rice, looks like on your plate.
To lose weight, learn to eat fewer calories. Do this by selecting foods that are lower in fat and calories from each food group. For example, choose low-fat cheese and extra lean meat. Also, choose plenty of vegetables. They are lower in calories and fat than other foods and can help you feel full.
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Lower fat versions of favorite foods |
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| Instead of this |
Try this |
Fried chicken |
Baked, roasted, broiled, grilled, or oven-fried chicken with the skin removed. |
Ham hocks, salt pork, or fatback to flavor vegetables |
Onions, garlic, low-sodium chicken broth or bouillon, smoked turkey, turkey bacon, or turkey ham. (These meats are high in salt, so use just a little bit.) |
Regular ground beef |
Extra lean ground beef or lean ground turkey breast
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French fries |
Mashed potatoes made with nonfat milk, a baked potato topped with a vegetable or fruit salsa, or a salad |
Sour cream |
Low-fat or nonfat sour cream or plain yogurt, or low-fat cream cheese |
Salt |
Spices, herbs, lemon, lime, or vinegar. (Salt isn't fattening, but it may contribute to high blood pressure in some people.) |
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| Do I need to drink milk?
| A healthy eating plan includes a variety of foods that provides all of the nutrients the body needs. Milk is a good source of calcium. If you cannot digest lactose (the sugar found in milk), there are many ways you can get the calcium that milk offers, without drinking regular milk.
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Drink low-fat or nonfat "lactose-reduced" milk or calcium-fortified soy-based beverages or orange juice
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Choose low-fat yogurt or reduced fat hard cheeses like low-fat cheddar
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Eat dark leafy vegetables like collard greens or kale
- Eat canned fish with soft bones like salmon.
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| Keeping your new habits
Remember, sensible eating and physical activity habits, followed over time, are key to a healthy body, mind, and spirit!
| The path to improving your eating and physical activity habits is not easy. But don't give up. Remember, sensible eating and physical activity habits, followed over time, are key to a healthy body, mind, and spirit!
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