Stay Healthy

Food

When combined with exercise, a healthy diet can help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol level and improve the way your body functions on a daily basis.When combined with exercise, a healthy diet can help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol level and improve the way your body functions on a daily basis.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid divides food into 6 basic food groups:
1. Grains
2. Fruits
3. Vegetables
4. Meats and beans
5. Dairy
6. Fats

The Food Guide Pyramid offers specific information about how much of your daily diet should come from each of these food groups. It measures servings of grains, and meats and beans in "ounce equivalents." Servings of vegetables, fruits and dairy products are measured in "cup equivalents." The amount you should try to eat from each food group depends on your age, sex and level of physical activity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid divides food into 6 basic food groups: 1. Grains 2. Fruits 3. Vegetables 4. Meats and beans 5. Dairy 6. Fats The Food Guide Pyramid offers specific information about how much of your daily diet should come from each of these food groups. It measures servings of grains, and meats and beans in "ounce equivalents." Servings of vegetables, fruits and dairy products are measured in "cup equivalents." The amount you should try to eat from each food group depends on your age, sex and level of physical activity.

What does it take to lose weight?

To lose weight, you have to cut down on the number of calories you consume and start burning more calories each day. Calories are the amount of energy in the food you eat. Some foods have more calories than others. For example, foods high in fat and sugar are also high in calories. Your body uses calories for energy. If you eat more calories than you use, the extra calories will be stored as body fat.

A pound of fat is about 3,500 calories. To lose 1 pound of fat in a week, you have to eat 3,500 fewer calories (that is 500 fewer calories a day), or you have to "burn off" an extra 3,500 calories. You can burn off calories by exercising or just by being more active. (Talk to your family doctor before you begin any type of exercise program. Your doctor may be able to tell you what kind of exercise program is right for you.)

You can lose weight by eating fewer calories. But to lose weight and keep it off, you need to eat fewer calories and burn off calories. If you cut 250 calories from your diet each day and exercise enough to burn off 250 calories, that adds up to 500 fewer calories in one day. If you do this for 7 days, you can lose 1 pound of fat in a week.

Many experts believe you should not try to lose more than 2 pounds per week. Losing more than 2 pounds in a week usually means that you are losing water weight and breaking down muscle mass instead of losing fat. If you do this, you will have less energy, and you will probably gain the weight back.