Weight Management
Maintaining a healthy weight can be challenging in our rushed society where obesity is now an epidemic. Many find it difficult to make time for meal planning, cooking, and exercise. However, it is possible to make time to take care of yourself if you truly want to do so. The key word is ‘MAKING’ the time for yourself. Some people find that utilizing grocery pick-up services help save time and can help to cut back on impulse buying, which leads to increased cost, food waste, and excess caloric intake. I think we have all done some damage when going to the store hungry, am I right?!
The goal of any weight management/healthy lifestyle is making changes that you can stick to. While many people will have some weight loss with different ‘fad’ diets, many of them are so restrictive that maintaining them is nearly impossible. Research has shown time and again that the best diet is the one you will stick with. The human body needs protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fats to survive. We recommend a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and a lot of water. Most adults need between 1500-2200 calories, depending on activity levels some people may require more.
Exercise is also a key factor in maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. Exercise has been shown to improve sleep and mood as well as building muscle tone and cardiovascular stamina. It is recommended to get 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise at least 5-7 days a week. Moderate intensity exercise can include going for a brisk walk, jog, deep house cleaning, aerobics, zumba, yoga, and resistance training, all of which can be done without joining a gym! If you have not exercised in a while you should start slow but continue to challenge yourself as tolerated until you are able to reach any goal you set for yourself.
Behavior modification is also very important to produce long term lifestyle changes. It is important to avoid food triggers, mindless eating in front of the RV, stress eating, or making excuses to avoid your new diet and exercise routine. We all make excuses for many different things, but if we continue to make excuses for our health we are only hurting ourselves! Common excuses include: using food as a reward, not eating enough throughout the day and gorging on food at home, and making too many exceptions (birthday, anniversary, holidays). If you normally eat in front of the TV at night consider chewing a piece of gum and doing some stretches or light weights on commercial breaks!
If you would like help getting started on your healthy lifestyle journey come and see us! We can help with medication-assisted weight loss as well as assessing your readiness to make changes and cheering you along the way. We will first rule out any medical causes for obesity, such as thyroid problems, and then we will make a plan that is tailored to your life. At Karas Health Care we believe in the connection between the body and the mind, so setting healthy goals and helping our patients reach them is our jam!
– Mindy Kazery, APRN
