:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/health-GettyImages-1496214146-b4220831f5c64912939e9447a7c87e56.jpg "Tips for Reaching Your Ideal Weight")
Overall health involves weight management— or sustainable techniques, behaviors, and processes to achieve and maintain a weight and body composition that is right for you.
More than one in three adults in the United States is overweight or has obesity. Learning how to manage your weight is a key strategy for staying fit and lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
Weight gain primarily occurs when the amount of energy you take in (from calories from food) exceeds the amount you expend (through exercise or daily activities). Your body stores the excess energy as fat.
Your diet is not the only thing that dictates your weight. Other factors can also influence weight gain, such as:
- Behavioral factors
- Environmental factors
- Genetics
- Gut microbiome, or the balance of helpful and harmful bacteria in your gut
A weight management strategy that works for one person may not work for another. Finding what works for you can be a challenge. Stay patient with yourself, implement the following strategies, and work with a healthcare provider for additional support.
Get Physically Active
Stay physically active and exercise to help your body burn excess calories instead of storing them as fat. Exercise also supports heart, lung, and bone health, enhances sleep quality, and reduces stress.
Experts recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly to manage weight and improve focus and mood. This includes aerobic activities (e.g., cycling and running) and anaerobic activities (e.g., weightlifting). You can also add activity to your day by taking movement breaks, and, if accessible, parking further away than usual or taking the stairs more often.
Eat Nutritious Foods
What you eat matters just as much as how much you move your body. Physical activity alone may be less effective unless paired with nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods. Limit foods high in calories, sodium, and saturated fat that are low in fiber.
Your calorie needs are unique to you and depend on your height, weight, sex, activity level, age, and medical history. It is best to work with your healthcare provider or registered dietitian nutritionist for an individualized plan.
Foods to add (or limit) in your next meal include:
| What To Eat | What To Limit |
|---|---|
| Legumes | Baked goods |
| Low-fat dairy | Deep-fried foods |
| Eggs | White bread |
| Fish | Processed grains |
| Poultry | Candy or chocolate |
| Whole grains | Alcohol |
| Nuts and seeds | Soda |
| Fruits | Sugary fruit juices |
| Vegetables | Sugar-sweetened beverages |
Try Portion Control
Portion control is helpful for weight management, but this is not the same as highly restrictive dieting or starvation. The goal is to limit food energy intake to what your body needs while enjoying meals and getting the right nutrients.
A registered dietitian nutritionist can help determine the right amount. MyPlate recommends half your plate be fruits and vegetables, a quarter carbohydrates, and a quarter lean proteins.
Drink More Water
Drinking water is important for hydration and can support exercise performance and recovery, metabolism, absorption of nutrients, cognitive function, digestion, and appetite control.
Hitting your hydration goals daily can sometimes be a challenge. Get a reusable water bottle to help you stay hydrated throughout the day.
Avoid Late Meals
Late-night eating (such as eating just before bed or snacking after dinner) has been linked to a higher risk of gaining weight.
There are several explanations for this, such as:
- Circadian misalignment, or when your sleep cycle falls out of rhythm
- Increased appetite the next day
- Reduced energy expenditure at night
Consider Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting (IF) involves alternating between periods of eating and fasting.
You can practice different types of intermittent fasting. It is advisable to speak with a healthcare provider before trying it.
What the Science Says: A 2023 study of 147 people trying IF for 1-6 months found that 94.5% lost weight, with an average loss of 2.2–22 pounds (1-10 kilograms). However, this study was small and short in duration. IF is not for everyone.
Manage Stress
Too much stress can cause hormonal changes, food cravings, and changes to thinking or decision-making that raise the risk of weight gain.
Consider strategies like yoga, journaling, and spending time in nature to help manage stress.
Set a Regular Sleep Schedule
How well and long you sleep are crucial to weight management. Get anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep to help your body recover, aid digestion, and reduce stress levels.
Sleep deprivation can raise your risk of obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), and depression.
To ensure you get the best out of your weight management plan, tips for success include:
- Balance your food choices: Include nutrient-dense foods but allow yourself to enjoy other foods occasionally without being overly restrictive.
- Keep track: Find measurable goals that work for you. Body weight, waist circumference, exercise performance, and food logs are things that can be tracked to monitor your progress.
- Make sure it is sustainable: Choose strategies you can maintain long-term and enjoy. Opt for moderate exercises you can keep up with instead of intense workouts.
A SMART weight management plan is specific (S), measurable (M), achievable (A), realistic (R), and time-bound (T).
This weight management plan includes:
- Specific: Your weight management goals should be clear, such as losing 1-2 pounds in one week or working out three times a week.
- Measurable: Track progress using tools like timers, fitness apps, scales, or tape measures.
- Achievable: Set goals you have the time, resources, and support to reach.
- Realistic: Choose healthy, attainable goals, like losing no more than two pounds per week.
- Time-bound: Set deadlines with short-term milestones and reward yourself to stay motivated.
Weight management is not easy. Sticking to your goals takes time, commitment, and hard work.
Tips you can implement into your daily life include:
- Ask a healthcare provider how to calculate your ideal weight and daily caloric needs.
- Create time for a regular exercise routine.
- Find nutritious and easy recipes you will enjoy eating.
- Reframe your plan as a permanent lifestyle change.
- Understand that setbacks happen but are part of the process.
There are days when you may not be as motivated or eager to stick with your weight management efforts—and that is okay.
Ways you can stay committed and successful include:
- Include your family and friends as part of your support network.
- Incorporate feel-good workouts and delicious, nutritious foods into your daily life.
- Keep a journal to track your progress.
- Plan and prep your meals.
- Reward your progress to keep you motivated.
Weight management can be hard, but you do not need to do it alone. Consider seeking help from a healthcare team if you have not lost weight or find it difficult to maintain your weight.
A healthcare team that includes your primary care doctor, registered dietitian nutritionist, therapist, and fitness expert can support and guide you.
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