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Make being active a priority every day.

Try not to focus on the number on the scale. Instead, focus on healthy food choices, watching portion sizes, and getting regular physical activity.

Muscle burns more calories than fat. To build muscle, do strengthening exercises. Use weights, a stretch band, etc.

Walking just 2 flights of stairs every day for a year burns enough calories to lose almost 2 pounds of body fat.

Make wise choices when you eat out. Eat at places that offer healthy food choices. Limit portions.

Having just two 12 ounce regular soft drinks a day could add 30 pounds of weight in one year. Limit regular soda. Drink water instead.

Fat-free and reduced fat foods are not calorie free. Some of these products may have as many calories as their regular counterparts. Read food labels. Find out the number of calories the food item has per serving.

Repeated weight loss and weight gain slows the body’s metabolic rate.

In general, a healthy weight for adults falls within a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 = overweight. A BMI of 30 & higher = obese.

Avoid crash dieting. This makes your body slow down to preserve body fat for reserve.

Breakfast is important because it “breaks the fast.” It is needed for energy to get you going for the day.

Aim to eat something healthy within two hours of waking up. Keep it simple. If you’re in a hurry, grab a piece of fruit and some whole grain crackers or cereal. Adding some protein, like hard boiled eggs or refried beans, will keep you well fueled for the morning.

Eating as a response to anger, boredom, depression, and stress can cause weight gain.

Deal with your emotions without turning to food. For example, when you are angry, take 3 or 4 deep breaths, count to 10, state out loud why you are angry, etc.

*  Your age and family health history

*  Your fitness level

*  Your waist measurement (waist circumference). To find this, place a measuring tape snugly around your waist near your navel. Stand relaxed. Do not pull in your stomach.

*  Greater than 35 inches  for women

*  Greater than 40 inches  for men

*  Cigarette smoking

*  High blood glucose (sugar)

*  High blood pressure

*  High triglycerides. These are a kind of fat.

*  Not being active enough

*  Unhealthy cholesterol levels in the blood

*  Arthritis of the hips and knees

*  High blood pressure

*  Stroke

*  Type 2 diabetes

*  Heart disease

*  Gallstones

*  Cancers of the ovaries, breast, cervix, and uterus in women. Cancer of the prostate gland in men. Cancers of the colon and rectum in women and men.

*  Eating more calories than your body uses

*  Eating the same number of calories as you age and/or exercising less

*  Certain genes a person inherits that make it easier to store excess energy as fat. Also, some people are less able to release stored energy from fat. People with this problem cannot get stored energy from their fat cells. This causes them to eat more.

*  Some medicines. These include:

–  Antidepressants, such as lithium

–  Blood pressure medicines, such as Inderal®

–  Corticosteroids, such as prednisone

–  Hormones in some birth control pills and in hormone therapy (HT).

–  A metabolic rate that returns to normal. Nicotine in cigarettes raises the metabolic rate.

–  Eating more to take the place of smoking

–  Diabetes

–  Heart or kidney problems that cause fluid to build up in body tissues

–  Low thyroid gland output

*  To prevent weight gain, do about 60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Do this every day, if you can. This can be done at one time. It can also be spread out over 2 or 3 times during the day.

*  To lose weight and to help keep lost weight off, do physical activity for 60 to 90 or more minutes a day.

*  Do aerobic exercises. Walk. Run. Swim. Bike. Cross country ski, etc.

*  Do exercises for endurance and to strengthen muscles. Do push ups, pull ups, and use weights. To build endurance, increase the number of times you do these exercises or the amount of weight you lift.

*  Do stretching exercises, such as leg stretches, reaching from side to side, and yoga.

*  Do warm-up exercises before aerobics. Loosen your muscles by stretching and/or walking for  5 minutes. After the activity, cool down with 5 minutes of walking and/or stretching.

*  Choose a good time and place to exercise each day. If you exercise before a meal, wait about 25 minutes before you eat. Wait at least 2 hours after you eat before you exercise hard.

*  Be in tune with your body when you exercise. If your muscles or joints start to hurt, ease up.

*  Don’t overdress. Too much sweating can be harmful.

*  Read about fitness and exercise. Talk about good fitness habits with persons who stay fit.

1. You have been inactive for a long period of time.

2. You are overweight or have a medical problem.

3. You are a male over 40 years of age or a female over age 50.

*  To lose 1/2 to 2 pounds of body fat per week, you need to eat 250 to 1,000 less calories each day than what you now eat.

*  In general, about 1,200 calories per day promotes a healthy weight loss for most women; about 1,600 calories per day for most men.

*  Follow your doctor’s advice for how many calories to eat each day for weight loss.

*  Read food labels for calorie content per serving.

*  Eat at regular times. Have half of your food in the first half of the day.

*  Plan at least 3, but not more than 6 meals a day. Have the first one within 2 hours of waking.

*  Vary your food choices to get a variety of nutrients.

*  Eat smaller portions. Limit second helpings.

*  Watch the FAT! Think: Without fat, less fat, little fat, low-fat. Aim daily to get 30% or less of your calories from fat. Use the chart on the next panel for the maximum grams of fat to eat per day for your calorie needs.

*  Don’t gobble your meals. You will be more satisfied with less if you eat slowly.

*  Get 20 to 35 grams of dietary fiber per day.

–  Eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables.

–  Choose whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas; bran; and beans, lentils, and peas.

*  Eat fewer sweets (candy, cookies, cakes, and sweetened cereals). Limit sugar.

*  Drink less alcohol or no alcohol.

*  Drink water instead of soda and other sweetened beverages.

*  Appetite is a desire for food. Hunger is a true physical need for food. Eat in response to hunger, not appetite.

*  Use smaller sized plates for meals.

*  To avoid impulse buying, shop only from a well-planned list. Never shop when hungry.

*  Blast out your desire for food by yelling the word “STOP.”

*  Plan your snacks in advance.

*  Put on tight clothes if you feel like eating too much.

*  Eat slowly. Chances are you will eat less.

*  Chew food well and swallow before the next bite.

*  Take sips of water between bites.

* Eat only when relaxed, not to reduce tension.

* Instead of thinking of “not eating,” think of showing respect for your body by refusing to overeat.

* Think about feeling bloated or stuffed before you overeat. Be aware of these negative sensations.

*  Choose restaurants that have low-calorie foods. Decide what you’ll eat ahead of time.

*  Don’t starve all day before you go out to eat.

*  Avoid “all-you-can-eat” restaurants.

*  Order “a la carte” or “half orders” to keep portions small. Share an order with someone else.

*  Drink few, if any, alcoholic beverages. Alcohol stimulates the appetite and has calories.

*  Beware of “Saboteurs” who try to undermine your weight loss. They may feel threatened by your success.

*  Tell others about your weight loss goals.

*  Meet friends for a walk instead of sitting and talking.

*  Don’t eat just because others are. Wait until you are hungry.

*  Aim for a slow, steady weight loss.

*  Don’t follow diets that allow less than 1,000 calories per day.

*  Only take over-the-counter medicines and other weight loss aids with your doctor’s okay.

*  Don’t vomit and/or use laxatives to lose weight.

*  Beware of quick weight loss products and programs. Watch out for these claims:

– Weight loss with no effort or exercise

– Weight loss while eating all you want

– Weight loss of more than 2 pounds a week

*  Avoid using sauna belts, body wraps, and other unproven weight-loss aids.

*  Avoid being a yo-yo dieter.

*  Beware of products and programs that use these terms:

– “Miraculous breakthrough”

– “Newly found secret”

– “Fat buster”