About 50% of American adults are trying to either lose or maintain their weight. An estimated 108 million Americans where dieting in 2012. That is a lot of people all trying to achieve one common goal, weight loss. This is why weight management is important to so many people and everyone manages their weight differently. We all know that to manage your weight you must eat healthy and exercise, but how do you properly do those things to start seeing results. That is what we are going to be talking about today, how to eat better, ways to exercise more, and other techniques for weight management. Let’s start with the basics, what should your daily intake of calories, fats, sodium, and sugar look like?
- Calories: 2000 for women and 2200 for men
- Total fat: 44-78 grams (20-35% calories)
- Saturated fat: 16-22 grams (<10% calories)
- Sodium: <2,300 milligrams (1 tbsp)
- Sugar: 6 tbsp for women and 9 tbsp for men
When people are trying to lose weight, they often want to see results quickly, but it can be unhealthy to drop to much weight in a short period of time. Losing about 1 to 2 pounds per week is said to be a healthy pace for weight loss. To achieve this, you should lower your calorie intake by 500-1000 calories per day. Some simple tips to get started on your weight loss are,
Food:
- Eat 3 meals per day, make sure to include breakfast
- Increase your nutrients and minerals by eating foods like vegetables/fruits, whole grains, seafood, eggs, dry beans/peas, unsalted nuts/seeds, fat-free/low-fat milk/milk products, and lean meats/poultry
- Decrease your portion sizes
- Stop eating when you’re not hungry
- Stay hydrated
Exercise:
- Shoot for about 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise a week such as walking, running, or riding a bike.
- Do muscle strengthening exercises at least once a week such as pushups, lifting weights, or sit-ups
- Start moving more throughout the day by taking the stairs or parking far away from your destination