If you’re reading this, chances are you’re ready to do something about your weight; or perhaps you want to find out if you are at a healthy weight? The benefits of being at a healthy weight are huge, so if you are carrying a few extra kilos in the fat bank, read on.
Being at a healthy weight is all kinds of good! It certainly leads to a boost vitality and energy, but it also means better sleep and a better mood. Beyond this, being at a healthy weight reduces your risk of chronic disease like diabetes and heart disease.
What is your ideal weight?
There’s no point creating an ‘ideal weight’ based on the measurements of another – your sister, your best friend or a Victoria’s Secret model is not you.
A ‘healthy weight’ for most people is within the 20-25 BMI. This can be calculated by dividing your mass by your height squared. Working out a healthy weight for your height is often a really great place to start when setting a weightloss goal. NOTE: The BMI does have some limitations though and can be influenced by age, gender, muscularity and ethnicity.
For those who have yo-yo’d regularly, another strategy involving your weight history may be more successful. Think of your highest body weight (e.g. 96kg) then your lowest body weight (e.g. 68kg). Work out the weight that is in the middle of these two figures (e.g. 82kg). Once you reach this mid point, you may wish to review your goal again.
If you need to lose weight, I recommend losing weight in stages. If you’ve got a lot of weight to lose, aiming for 5kg increments over time is a far more positive experience than focusing on a total goal of 30kg.
This week is Australia’s Healthy Weight Week (AHWW) – 16 to 22 February 2015
AHWW is an initiative of the Dietitians Association of Australia and is an ideal time to kick-start healthy eating habits to get you to a healthy weight. The aim for the 2015 campaign is straight-forward: to encourage more Australians to cook at home as a way to help achieve and maintain a healthy weight. If you head to the AHWW website you can print out a basic seven day meal plan, shopping list and find a heap of tips to get you on the path to a ‘healthy weight’.
www.healthyweightweek.com.au
Where to start?
1. Rediscover home cooking. By learning to cook at home using healthy ingredients you’ll boost your nutrient intake.
2. Be portion aware. Shrinking portion sizes at every meal is a sure-fire way to lower energy (kilojoule) intake.
3. Start the day with breakfast. Breakfast eaters are more likely to be a healthy weight and less likely to re-gain lost weight. Include a source of protein (such as an egg or baked beans) and a low glycaemic index (GI) choice (like wholegrain toast or low‐fat yoghurt).
4. Choose low kilojoule, high nutrient foods. Wholegrain breads and cereals, fruit and vegetables, lean meat, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, and lower fat dairy foods fit the bill.
5. Eat fruit and vegetables. Build up to the recommended five serves of vegetables (around three cups) and two serves of fruit every day. Fill half your dinner plate with vegetables (which is easy when you cook at home) and eat fruit as a snack.
6. Enjoy treats – in moderation. You don’t have to cut out any food, as long as you moderate your intake. Everyone’s different – so cutting back to a square or two of chocolate a day or a take-away once a week may be a step in the right direction for you.
7. Choose healthier drinks. Water is the best choice – so have a glass, bottle or jug of water close by at all times.
8. Write down everything you eat and drink. This will help you become more aware of what you’re eating and drinking, and where any problem areas are. Research suggests this is one of the best ways to change your eating habits and lose weight.
Have a fabulous healthy week and get involved, even if you don’t need to lose weight. It’s about making healthy choices and getting back in the kitchen. Head to the website and download the AHWW resources, or make an appointment with a dietitian like myself to help get you get off the dieting rollercoaster. This isn’t about looking like a Victoria’s Secret model; it’s about moving towards a healthy weight for YOU.
What have you got to lose?
Eat well, be well…
Lisa Donaldson APD
www.feedinc.net
¾ Kennedy St, Kingston
