Managing Your Weight
Here is a plan that may work for you:
Invest in yourself
- We spend most of our time worrying about our jobs, money, family, friends and material possessions. You need to make a decision to invest some time and effort in your own health.
- Learn about a heart healthy diet and healthy, active lifestyle.
Assess your current lifestyle
- Take a week to estimate your current calorie consumption / day and amount of time you devote to exercise each week.
- Compare your current lifestyle with what you have learned about healthy diet and physical activity.
- Identify some of the unhealthy choices you are making.
- Examples: eating fast food and deep fried foods frequently, taking little/no time for exercise.
Identify your goals
- Time devoted to exercise.
- Sticking to a heart healthy diet >90% of the time.
- Losing a certain number of pounds in a month.
Replace your bad habits with new ones
- Diet
- Develop a shopping list based on your knowledge of a heart healthy diet. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, fat-free or low-fat dairy products and substituting liquid and tub margarines, canola and olive oil for butter, stick margarines and foods high in saturated and trans fats.
- Snacks: Substitute fruits, vegetables and nuts & whole grain products for foods high in sugar and fat.
- Minimize eating out. When you do: avoid deep fried foods & foods with high saturated fat and sugar.
- Substitute water or diet soda for full calorie sodas.
- Use the American Heart Association link to find delicious, healthy recipes.
Exercise
- Dedicate a certain amount of time each week to exercise, which can be as simple as walking. Recommended goal is >120 minutes / week. Would recommend trying to find at least four 30 minute blocks that you can dedicate to exercise each week.
- Find something that you enjoy (walking or exercising with a friend, playing a sport, watching TV while using a treadmill).
- Remember all the benefits of exercise and how much better you feel once you have been doing it.
Monitor your progress
- Record your weekly exercise minutes and weights on the 3 month calendar provided.
- Get feedback from your doctor, whether this be a pat on the back or recommendation on how to do better.
Embrace your healthy lifestyle
- Be a positive influence on your friends and family. This type of lifestyle is beneficial for everyone, not just those of us with coronary heart disease.
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