-John H., Florida

Dear John,

Controlling your weight calls for more than just choosing a healthy variety of foods. It also calls for looking at how much and how often you eat.

Many people think that bigger is better. We are so used to value-sized portions—especially in restaurants—that it is easy to eat more than our bodies need. Eating smaller portions will help you cut down on calories and fat (and might save you money too).
Here is a 1,600-calorie per day sample menu with sensible portion sizes:*

Breakfast
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 English muffin with 1 tablespoon low-fat cream cheese
1 cup low-fat milk
3/4 cup orange juice

Lunch
2 ounces baked chicken without skin (a little smaller than a deck of cards)
Lettuce, tomato, and cucumber salad with 2 teaspoons oil and vinegar dressing
1/2 cup rice seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon tub or liquid margarine
1 small whole-wheat roll with 1 teaspoon margarine

Dinner
3 ounces lean roast beef (about the size of a deck of cards) with 1 tablespoon beef gravy
1/2 cup turnip greens seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon margarine
1 small baked sweet potato with 1/2 teaspoon margarine
1 slice cornbread
1/4 honeydew melon

Snack
2 1/2 cups low-fat microwave popcorn
1 1/2 teaspoons margarine
* Adapted from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) sample menus.

Learning to select the right food portions when eating out is important since you will not always be able to prepare your meals at home.  Here are some ways to make healthy choices when you are away from home:

• Use a small plate at social functions to help keep you from eating too much.
• At restaurants, order a half portion, share a meal with a friend, or take half of your order home for another meal.
• Balance your meals throughout the day. If you have a high-fat or high-calorie breakfast or lunch, make sure you eat a low-fat dinner. If you know you will be having a higher fat dinner, make lower fat choices earlier in the day.

As you begin to make healthful changes in your diet, you make find it helpful to keep a food diary.  Writing down what you eat, when you eat, and how you feel when you eat can help you understand your eating habits. You may be able to see ways to make your eating habits healthier. You can also use your diary to plan weekly menus, make shopping lists, and keep track of recipes you would like to try.

Since your body weight is controlled by the number of calories you eat and the number of calories you use each day, to lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than you use. As you probably know, in order to lose one pound you have to have a deficit of 3500 calories. To lose one pound per week, you would need to reduce your caloric intake by 300 calories per day and burn 200 calories per day in exercise. To lose two pounds, you would need to double the calorie reduction and calories expended per day.  The following tips should help jump start a healthy eating plan that you can follow for life:

• Make half your grains whole.  Aim for at least 4.5 ounces of whole grains per day.
• Vary for your veggies.  Aim for these amounts each week:  3 cups of dark green veggies, 2.5 cups of orange veggies, 3.5 cups of dry beans and peas, 7 cups of starchy veggies, and 8.5 cups of other veggies.
• Focus of fruits.  Eat a variety of fruit.  Limit the amount of fruit juices since they tend to have high sugar content.
• Get your calcium-rich foods.  Go low-fat or fat-free when you choose milk, yogurt, or cheese.
• Go lean with protein.  Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry.  Vary your protein routine – choose more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.

Along with eating healthfully, you may also wish to start exercising regularly.  Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. This amount of physical activity may also reduce your risk for some chronic diseases.

To lose weight, experts recommend that you do 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. Remember that your weight may be affected by the balance of “calories-in” and “calories-out.”

Remember, people may need to do different amounts of physical activity to lose and control weight. You may find that you need to do more, or that you may not need to do as much. Also, remember that your eating plan and the number of calories you eat are important. You may wish to speak with your health care provider, a fitness specialist, or a dietitian about the right amount of activity and calories for you.

Yours in good health!

• BlackDoctor.org is a credible and trusted resource for African Americans to get healthy lifestyle information.  A "WebMD" for Black consumers is a good way of looking at us.  Our aim is to build a comprehensive database of accurate, relevant information and to be the first point of call whenever African Americans need medical/dental information or a referral to a qualified Black doctor. 

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