What Is Weight Management?

Obesity is a chronic condition, affecting more than 2 in 3 adults and about 18.5% of children and adolescents. Obesity and carrying excess weight places you at an increased risk of developing a host of preventable illnesses, like:

• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes 
• Stroke
• Kidney disease
• Fatty liver disease
• Chronic illness 

At the Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care, Dr. James Y. Lee and his staff are here to provide you with the best in health care. So, we’ve compiled this helpful guide on weight management. 

Healthy weight loss is gradual

When starting a weight loss plan, you may find yourself eager to start losing weight quickly. However, according to the CDC, evidence shows that people who lose weight steadily, or at a rate of about 1-2 pounds a week, have more success with keeping the weight off in the long run.   

This is because healthy weight loss is about an ongoing lifestyle change rather than a quick-fix crash diet. So, even modest weight loss is incredibly beneficial to your health. Losing even 5-10% of your body weight can improve your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.  

Eat healthy

Eating too much or eating food that’s high in fat, sugar, and salt can lead to increased weight. Just to maintain your weight, the calories that you eat need to equal the calories that you burn. Here are some helpful tips for maintaining a healthy diet:

• Eat more low-fat and low-calorie foods
• Eat smaller portions 
• Consume more water instead of sugary beverages

Sometimes eating healthier can simply mean introducing more fruits and vegetables into your diet. It can also mean replacing your unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones. For example, try baking your food with minimal oil instead of deep frying. Gradual weight loss is about making small changes that you can adapt for daily living.

Exercise regularly 

To lose weight, you’ll need to engage in a high amount of vigorous physical activity. Some examples of what counts as vigorous exercise include:

• Jogging or running
• Swimming laps
• Jumping rope
• Competitive sports like soccer, basketball, or football
• Rollerblading or inline skating

To help maintain your weight, the CDC recommends 60 - 90 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per day. Moderate intensity exercise includes things like:

• Brief walks
• Casual bike rides
• Actively playing with your children
• Light yard work or housework 

To get the best idea of how much physical activity you need, the CDC has compiled this helpful guide. 

Start losing weight today

At Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care, we provide you with a customized weight management program to give you the best chance of losing weight and keeping it off for good. Call us or make an appointment right on our website.