You can lose weight! There are many ways to try. Begin by thinking about:
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How much you weigh now
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How much weight you need to lose to be healthy
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The best ways for you to lose weight
This section has ideas for many ways to lose weight.
These include diet (what you eat), exercise (how active you are), weight loss drugs, and surgery. There is also a list of ways to learn more at the end of this section. Remember you can always talk to your doctor about what is best for you.
“Diet” refers to all the foods and drinks you have each day. Almost everything you eat has calories. One way to lose weight is by eating and drinking fewer calories. But your body needs a certain number to survive, and that number is different for everyone. To find out how many calories you need, find a Calorie Counter.
People lose weight by eating and drinking fewer calories. Most people can lose weight by eating about 500 to 1,000 fewer calories a day than they do now. Losing weight this way does not make pounds “melt away” fast. Instead, you lose weight over time. For most people, the goal is to lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week.
Your Body
Needs Balance.
It is smart to have a balance in your diet to make sure you get all the
nutrients your body needs to survive. You should not get all your
calories from sweets, for example. Learn more
here.
You are more likely to keep weight off if you lose it slowly. Do not try to lose too much too fast (such as 10 pounds in a week). If you lose weight this fast, you are more likely to put it back on and maybe even gain a few extra pounds!
You can make healthy food choices by learning about the foods you eat. You should learn to read and understand the nutrition facts label found on most food packaging. This label includes facts about the amount of calories, fat, sugar, and other items in each food. You can use this label to decide which foods to buy or avoid. Learn about it here.
Not all foods have the nutrition facts label. Food you buy from a deli, or fruits and vegetables at the grocery store won’t have the label. You can go here to find nutrition information about foods that may not have the label. You should also learn about healthy ways to cook the foods you buy.
There are many types of diets. Before you choose a diet, learn as much as you can about it. And it is a good idea to talk with your doctor about which diet is best for you.
Most of us are not very active. We may sit at our desks during the day and on the sofa at night. And we may drive cars more than walk or ride bikes. Many people are overweight or obese because they are not active enough.
You can do something about this! Try to exercise or be active for at least 30 minutes most every day. This can help you lose weight by burning extra calories.
You do not need to join a gym or spend a lot of money on work-out gear. Instead, you can be active around your house or neighborhood. Just make sure you move enough to get your heart rate going fast. This could be dancing, walking fast, jogging, riding a bike, swimming, or other ways of being active. Start slowly. Then as you feel ready, exercise for longer amounts of time or move faster. Click here to go to a Web site that helps you learn how many calories you burn with certain activities. A good way to start is by choosing an exercise you enjoy. You might also want to ask a friend or family member to do this with you. People are more likely to keep active when they are having fun!
Change Your Diet AND Exercise More!
Studies show that people are more likely to lose weight when they change what they eat AND increase how much they exercise. This often means changing some habits. Here are some ways you can get started:
Make a list (keep a diary) each day of what you eat and how active you are.
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Think of things that make you go off your diet. For instance, some people are tempted when there are a lot of snacks around the house. Once you know what makes you go off your diet, plan ways to avoid them. One way may be by keeping snacks where you are less likely to see them.
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Prepare healthy meals at home rather than going to restaurants.
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Treat yourself when you are extra active or say no to high-calorie foods (such as rich desserts). Your treat might be going to a movie, buying a CD, or calling a good friend.
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Set goals that you can reach. For instance, your goal may be to lose 1 pound a week rather than 25 pounds in a month.
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Find ways to keep active. This may be using the stairs rather than taking the elevator, or doing stretches or other exercises while you watch TV.
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Ask your friends, family, and co-workers for help as you lose weight. Let them know how they can help such as by putting away tempting snacks or going on walks with you.
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Think about joining a weight loss support group in your town.
Adults who find diet and exercise is not enough to lose weight may take weight-loss drugs. Doctors sometimes prescribe these drugs for people who have a:
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BMI (body mass index) greater than 30 with no health problems (such as diabetes, heart disease) or
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BMI greater than 27 with two or more health problems
Weight-loss drugs can help people lose weight and keep it off. Weight-loss drugs are not for everyone, but you can talk with your doctor to see if one might be right for you. If you take a weight-loss drug, your doctor is likely to suggest that you eat less and increase the amount of activity you do each day.
You will need a prescription from the doctor for most weight-loss drugs. There are some over-the-counter weight-loss drugs that do not need a prescription. Always talk to a doctor before taking any new drug, dietary supplement or over-the-counter medicine (OTC) to make sure it is right for you. Some dietary supplements or OTC drugs may not work right with other medicines you take. They might even be harmful if you take them together. You should ask your doctor or pharmacist if there is anything you need to know about how your drugs work together.
What Does NOT Help
The common saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is” applies to weight loss.
People who are overweight or obese may sometimes believe false promises for quick fixes such as “miracle” creams that help “shed inches in days,” or “natural” pills that cut hunger cravings.
Losing weight takes effort and there are no quick fixes. Keep in mind that if something sounds too good to be true then it likely is. Being overweight or obese is a serious health problem that needs good medical care. Make sure to talk with your doctor about weight loss methods that are right for you.
Here are some prescription weight loss drugs:
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Orlistat (Xenical): This drug works by blocking some of the fat in food from being stored in your body. Instead, the fat passes through your body. This type of weight loss drug can be used for up to 2 years. (Some other weight loss drugs can only be used for a few weeks). You can get Orlistat in small doses without needing a prescription. It is always a good idea to talk with your doctor before taking this or any drug.
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Phentermine: This drug works by making you feel less hungry so you eat fewer calories. This drug is normally used for only a few weeks.
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Sibutramine (Meridia): This drug tells your brain you are full so you eat less. This weight loss drug can be used for up to 2 years.
Surgery is a choice for obese people with a:
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BMI greater than 40, or
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BMI of 35 to 39.9 with serious health problems (such as diabetes, heart condition).
Surgery to help obese and overweight people is another safe way to lose weight. Your doctor can tell you more about how surgery can help and any possible problems. Surgery alone is not enough. After weight loss surgery, people need to watch their diet and stay active. Most people work with a team of doctors and diet experts (such as dieticians) to help stay “on track” after surgery.
Here are some facts about three types of weight-loss surgery:
Malabsorptive surgery: This type of surgery shortens and re-shapes the digestive tract (intestines). This is done to limit the amount of calories and other nutrients that are taken into the body. This surgery is most often done along with restrictive surgery described below.
Restrictive surgery: This makes the stomach smaller so it cannot hold as much food as before. This type of surgery does not change how your body digests food. Restrictive surgery is done in one of two ways:
Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding: In this surgery, a band is put around the top of the stomach. This makes a small pouch that can only hold a small amount of food.
Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG): This is sometimes called “stomach stapling.” Doctors make a small pouch on the top of the stomach. The outlet from the pouch to the rest of the stomach has a band around it. This band keeps the stomach from emptying food so the stomach feels full.
Combination surgery: This includes aspects of both malabsorptive and restrictive surgery. It makes the stomach hold less food and re-shapes the digestive tract to get fewer calories. There are two types of combination surgery:
Gastric Bypass (also called Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass or RYGB): This is when part of the stomach is stapled and bypassed. This causes the person to eat less and so take in fewer calories and nutrients
Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD). In this surgery, most (about 70%) of the stomach is removed. The smaller stomach is then connected to the small intestine. This means the protein, carbohydrate and fat in foods are not mixed with the bile and pancreatic enzymes that would break them down. Therefore, less food is taken into the body.