Personal Health Assessment Results - Completed:
| WEIGHT MANAGEMENT | |||||||||||||||||||
If your BMI is below 18.5, you are classified as underweight. Being underweight increases your risk of malnutrition, osteoporosis and premature death. In order to reduce your risk, it is important you make changes in your diet by adding calorie-dense foods to aid in weight gain. Seek the help of a dietitian to ensure you are providing your body with all the nutrients it needs. If your BMI is in the normal range of 18.5 – 24.9 Congratulations! Keep up the good work. Remember, a healthy lifestyle is achieved by focusing on nutrition, physical activity and behavioral management. If your BMI is in the overweight range of 25-29.9 In order to prevent your weight from creeping up, focus on creating or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to provide yourself plenty of opportunities for physical activity, nourish your body with wholesome foods and recognize and address unhealthy behaviors If your BMI is in the obese range of 30 or higher You are at high risk of developing chronic diseases and other health issues. In order to prevent or reverse the effects of these negative health issues you may choose to lose weight. Even a small weight loss may decrease your symptoms and reduce your risk of disease. Discuss your weight loss plan and health concerns with your healthcare provider to determine the most appropriate way to reach your goals. Maintaining a healthy weight Maintaining a healthy weight helps lower your risk of developing chronic diseases and other health issues such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, gallbladder disease and more. Use these guidelines to ensure you maintain a healthy weight to live the best life possible. Weekly Weight Loss Three core factors that may enhance or inhibit weight loss or maintenance include nutrition, physical activity and behavior. Addressing all three factors at once is more successful than any one intervention alone. A healthy weight-loss goal is to reduce body weight by one to two pounds per week for the first six months and to achieve a 10 percent weight loss from your starting weight. This is an acceptable, healthy amount and can be done by creating a 500-1,000 calorie deficit per day. As stated earlier, weight loss is best accomplished through a combination of diet modifications, exercise, and behavior changes.. Goal Setting Weight loss is best achieved when SMART goals are set. Identify how you plan to lose weight. Will you exercise more, eat healthier, or both? SMART goals are Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. For example, saying “I will exercise more” is not a SMART goal. The following is an example of a SMART goal: “Starting next week I will walk 30 minutes, 5 days a week and go to the gym to strength train for 30 minutes, twice a week”. The Bigger Picture Weight loss may be necessary; however it is often more important to focus on why you want or need to lose weight. Are you at risk of developing chronic diseases or need to monitor current diseases? Do you want to be able to play with you children and/or grandchildren? Do you want to gain energy to spend time enjoying life? Instead of stressing over a number on the scale, spend your time and energy focusing on the positive changes you are making in your life. With the help of diet and exercise modifications, you will become a happier, healthier individual and your weight loss will follow suit. Nutrition Calories are the amount of energy in the foods we eat. Generally speaking, when you eat more calories than you burn you will gain weight and when you eat fewer calories than you burn you will lose weight. Keep in mind; calories are not the only factor to consider when choosing foods. A healthy diet includes a variety of proteins, healthy fats, low-fat or fat-free daily products, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. When aiming to lose weight, focus on the quality of your meals. In order to lose weight and stay full, you will need the majority of your foods to be wholesome and filling. To make this simple, consider these simple changes.
Weight gain is the result of consuming more calories than your body needs. This makes exercise a very important component of weight loss and weight-maintenance. The current guidelines suggest engaging in 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week. For weight loss, increase moderate aerobic activity to 300-450 minutes each week or engage in a mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activities. Strength training is a great way to increase calorie burn and tone up while losing weight. Strength training should be completed at least two times each week, in addition to aerobic exercise. Behavior Behavior plays a large role in our relationship with food. Old habits are difficult to change and new ones are difficult to form. Various therapies may aid in your weight loss journey. Forms of therapy include self-monitoring, stress management, stimulus control, problem solving and social support. Healthcare professionals are able to help you evaluate your current behaviors and come up with an appropriate plan to help you achieve your goals. Additional resources:
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| NUTRITION | ||
Maintaining a healthy diet is key in preventing or controlling chronic diseases. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans focuses on a healthy eating pattern. This includes eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, a variety of protein and oils. These guidelines recommend limiting added sugars, trans fats and sodium. By focusing on small changes to your current diet, these recommendations become easier to comprehend and put into action. For more information on the new 2015-2020 dietary guidelines, please visit http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/ Fruits and Vegetables The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends making half your plate fruits and vegetables. Choose a variety of vegetables and make your plate colorful (and nutritious!) by choosing vegetables that are dark green, red or orange most often. For the best flavor and nutrition choose fruits and vegetables that are in season. Frozen fruits and vegetables that do not include added flavor or sugars are another great option for increasing your fruit and vegetable intake. Breakfast Eating a wholesome breakfast is a great way to start your day off on the right foot. You will have energy to power through your morning and be less likely to overeat or make poor food choices later in the day. If you don't like breakfast foods- try something different! Try leftovers or a sandwich instead of that bowl of oatmeal. Aim to include whole grains, protein and at least one serving of fruits or vegetables in your morning meal. Morning can be a difficult time to sit down for a meal. Here are some quick and easy breakfast ideas to get you started.
Keeping your body hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day is incredibly important in maintaining your nutrition and overall health. When you are dehydrated your total blood volume drops, and your whole body has to work harder to keep functioning. Staying hydrated aids in digestion, transportation of nutrients and helps your kidneys flush toxins out of your system. Drinking enough water throughout the day may also help you stay full longer and prevent consuming unnecessary calories. Before reaching for a snack, ask yourself if you are hungry, bored or thirsty. Drink and glass of water and go for a short walk to take your mind off eating. If you truly are hungry, reach for a nutritious snack. Aim to drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. Meet your goal by making a habit of drinking a glass of water when you wake up, before each meal and before you go to bed. In addition, carry a water bottle with you during the day to keep water accessible and to serve as a reminder to keep your body hydrated. Additional resources:
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