You are in Control:
You have more control then you think. You can turn off the video games and television. You can park at the very end of the parking lot. You can give you family more fruits and vegetables.
Think about the immediate benefit:
If reducing future heart disease risk seems a bit abstract, focus on the good things that can happen right now. You won’t feel so full if you have a smaller portion or skip dessert. Going hiking with your teenager might lead to a wonderful talk that neither of you anticipated. A fruit salad tastes great and looks beautiful. Dancing with your spouse is lots of fun and can give you a great workout.”
Make small easy changes:
Make changes that the whole family will like and that are not too drastic. Ideas could be taking a walk after dinner as a family instead of watching TV.
Try different strategies:
No one will recognize if you switch to low fat yogurt, or sour cream and cheese. Make these substitutes in your meals. Have the children help plan and shop for the healthy foods that they would like to eat.
An eating plan that can help you and your family maintain a healthy weight is one that gives everyone the nutrients they need while keeping calories under control.
• Choose foods that are low or moderate in calories.
• Enjoy small portions at home and at restaurants.
• Emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.
• Including lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
• Cutting back on foods and drinks that are high in fat and added sugar.
To maintain a healthy weight, being physically active is just as important as eating right.
Trying to get in 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous intensity physical activity on most days may seem like a lot. But you can do it, and doing it with the family can make it easier.
· Get away from the screen
-Make a family agreement to limit TV/DVD/video watching or gaming to 2 hours (or less) a day.
-Play with a ball
· Make family time active time
-Celebrate a birthday or anniversary with something active—a hike, a volleyball game, a Frisbee match.
· Be physically active in small chunks
-Challenge your child to jump rope for 5 minutes. When he or she is done, enjoy a big hug and then you try it!
Other Resources
· Aim For a Healthy Weight, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/index.htm
· Portion Distortion Quiz, http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion
· Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator, www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi
- Stop Childhood obesity-http://www.stop-childhood-obesity.com/
-We Can! program- http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/
- Stop Childhood obesity-http://www.stop-childhood-obesity.com/
-We Can! program- http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/
