Weight Management
Weight management comes down to one thing: calories. Calories are a unit of energy and everyone needs energy to live. When you consume more calories in the diet than what your body needs or will use, weight gain occurs. When you use or burn more calories than what you consume in the diet, weight loss occurs. And when you consume the same number of calories your body needs, there's weight maintenance.
Weight Management
You can safely and effectively lose 1-2 pounds of weight each week. One pound of body fat has 3500 calories. If you want to lose 1 pound of weight each week, this means cutting out 500 calories per day. This can be done by reducing 500 calories from the diet, burning an additional 500 calories from exercise, or a combination of both. If your goal is to gain weight, refer to the handout Gaining Weight the Health Way.
Hunger and Fullness Cues
Listening to your body's hunger and fullness cues can be a helpful way to manage your weight. It's a good idea to examine your hunger, appetite and satiety prior to eating.
- Hunger is the physiological need for food.
- Appetite is the desire for food.
- Satiety is the feeling of fullness and satisfaction after eating.
There are many reasons people eat including boredom, pleasure, anxiety, schedule, or social gatherings. If you are eating for reasons other than to satisfy your hunger, you may have dietary habits that make it difficult to manage your weight. Below are a couple of methods to help you identify your body's hunger cues.
Hunger-Fullness Scale
Use the following scale to rate your feelings of hunger and fullness before and after you eat. For example, if you feel your stomach grumble, rate your hunger a 3. If you eat until you feel politely full rate your fullness at a 7.
- 1 = Famished, starving
- 2 = Really hungry, may feel tired, weak, difficult to concentrate
- 3 = Hungry, stomach may grumble
- 4 = Somewhat hungry but could wait to eat
- 5 = Neither hungry nor full, don't need to eat
- 6 = Feel satisfied or somewhat full, no reason to eat more
- 7 = Politely full, you could eat more but you don't have to
- 8 = Full, don't need to eat more
- 9 = Uncomfortably full
- 10 = Painfully full, can't eat another bite
Aim for staying within a 3-7 range on the hunger-fullness scale. There's no rule that says you have to eat until you feel full. You could eat until you are politely full where you could eat more but you don't have to, or until you're no longer hungry. In addition, waiting too long to eat could lead to overeating later. To avoid either extreme, consider some of the following tips for staying within an appropriate hunger-fullness range:
- Plan or prepare meals and snacks ahead of time so you don't have to rely on vending machines or fast food. This also allows you to have more control in making healthier selections and you can have something to eat right away if and when you get hungry.
- Pre-portion meals and snacks ahead of time in small Tupperware containers, sandwich or snack bags, or use smaller plates, cups and bowls to prevent you from overeating.
- Train your body when to be hungry and ready to eat based on your schedule.
- Carry a snack in case you get hungry or have to go without eating for 3-5 hours.
- Eat with fewer distractions (TV, computer, working, studying) so you are more aware of how much and what you eat.
Need or Want (N.O.W)
When food is just a thought ask yourself, "Is this a need because I feel stomach hungry or is it a want?" If you are hungry, have something to eat but stop when you are politely full, or no longer hungry. If you are not hungry, wait to eat until you are hungry and find an alternative activity you can do in the meantime to divert your attention. Consider activities that are enjoyable, stress relieving, comforting, can be done alone or in groups, and easily accessible.
Examples of alternative activities include:
- Calling a friend or family member
- Checking facebook or myspace
- Chewing gum
- Going for a walk
- Painting your nails
- Playing a computer or video game
- Reading a book
- Scrapbooking
The Apple Test
Another way to test your hunger is to ask yourself before eating, "Am I hungry enough to eat an apple?" If you really like apples, pick another food you feel neutral about. Otherwise, if you are truly stomach hungry you will probably eat the apple. However, if you would not eat the apple you are probably eating for reasons other than hunger.
To view the next section, go to Calories and Servings.