Tips for slimming down and managing your weight

Do you need to slim down? How much weight do you need to lose? In order to find out if you are overweight, you need to calculate your body mass index. In general, you are considered overweight if your BMI is greater than 25. Use the calculator in reverse to figure out what you need to weight in order to have a BMI of 25. Then follow the tips below to manage your weight

Tips for weight management

Here are some things you can do to slim down and lower your risks of health problems:

• exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week
• skip the elevator and take the stairs; find ways to walk every day
• when you get hungry, try some exercise instead of a snack
• if you have to snack – eat fresh fruits or plain, air-popped popcorn
• don’t add salt to your food when cooking or at the table
• cook and eat fresh foods
• if you use canned foods, buy unsalted or in light syrup
• learn to read food labels to help you shop for healthier foods
• drink skim or low fat milk – you still get the calcium and not the fat.
• eat low fat, low calorie meals
• choose foods high in starch and fiber
• learn serving sizes (not portions!) and eat the right servings so your calorie counts are accurate
• eat more chicken and fish (especially salmon) and less red meat
• trim fats from meats and poultry
• don’t fry foods – bake, broil, steam or grill food
• avoid animal fats like butter, whole milk, ice cream and cream

Keep in mind that BMI is just a guide. By lifting moderate amounts of weight, you add muscle to your body; muscles burn more calories than fat and you will burn calories more quickly – even at rest. Keep in mind the best way to lose weight is to lose it slowly so healthy eating will become a habit and you are more likely to keep off the extra pounds.