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Why weight?
Now’s the time to act on those unwanted pounds
STEPPING
onto your bath-
room scale and discovering that
you’ve gained 5 pounds can leave
you feeling discouraged. But not
nearly as discouraged as you’d
be if the scale showed you were
10 pounds heavier—and now facing
twice the e ort to get the weight o .
ere’s a lesson to be learned here:
When pounds start creeping up, you
want to stop the trend
—
and reverse
it
—
as soon as you can.
What can
happen
Weight
gain becomes
more likely
as you age. Metabolism slows and,
o en, you become less active. ose
changes can spell trouble for your
waistline.
But weight problems can be
further compounded if you’re not
eating well. Just consuming 100 extra
calories a day will cause you to gain a
pound in a little more than a month.
In three years’ time, that could total
nearly 30 extra pounds.
It’s easier to shed 3 or 4 unwanted
pounds as soon as they appear than
it is to take o the 30 pounds they
might become down the road. So
it’s smart to weigh yourself regu-
larly and take action when the scale
begins moving up.
Start by keeping track of what you
eat and how much physical activity
you get. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, this
can help you monitor your progress
and spot trends.
For example,
maybe you’ll see
that you tend to gain
weight when life is
busiest and you don’t
get regular exercise.
Scheduling time for a daily walk
or a trip to the gym could make a
di erence.
Likewise, if you nd you’re fre-
quently eating fast food, you might
decide to change your habits. Cut-
ting calories and exercising are the
best strategies for staying trim.
Even if you’ve already gained a lot
of weight, you can try not to gain
more. Your health is worth the e ort,
and your e ort is likely to reap rewards.
Explore the benefits of losing
weight. Try our infographic at
www.hrhs.org/healthyweight.
The number of
calories you’d
cut in one year
if you ate just
100 fewer
calories every
day. Try simple
things, like
snacking on veg-
etables instead
of chips.
Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics
The portion of your plate that should be lled with
fruits and vegetables. They provide vitamins and
nutrients, and they’re high in ber, so they’re ll-
ing. An added bonus: They can be low in calories.
Produce for Better Health Foundation
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The typical decline in metabolic rate during each
decade of life. With a slowing metabolism, you
burn fewer calories. One way to boost your meta-
bolic rate: Start a weight-training program.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
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q
hrhs.org