How active do I need to be to lose weight?
I have tried every diet there is and none of them works. Should I give up?
How can I tell how much weight I should lose?
What is a good weight loss diet?
If I quit smoking, I will gain weight. What should I do?

How active do I need to be to lose weight?

Body fat is simply stored calories. Think of it as the storage of nuts that squirrels pack away for the winter. Every pound of body fat equals 3500 calories of stored energy. To lose 1 pound of body fat, we need to use 3500 calories from our body fat storage.

On average, adults aged 50+, need about 1600-2000 total calories per day if they lead an inactive lifestyle. To lose weight, a person must eat fewer calories than they use so that they pull the calories from storage (body fat). You can either eat fewer calories or burn more calories to create the difference and force your body to use calories from "winter storage."

By creating a difference of 500 calories a day, you can expect to use 3500 calories from storage in one week. For example, you could eat 250 calories less than you need and burn another 250 with physical activity. At the end of the day, you will have used 500 calories from storage.

Additional resources:

• Calorie Control - Calculate calories burned from exercise
• MyPyramid.gov - Tools to monitor calories and physical activity

I have tried every diet there is and none of them works. Should I give up?

Weight loss is a challenge! Anyone who has ever taken the journey knows this truth. Like making any other lifestyle change, it must be faced with a positive attitude for best results. Try the following:

• Be patient with yourself. It takes courage to make lifestyle changes. Give yourself credit for taking the first step.
• Gather help and encouragement from friends. Plan to exercise with a friend or neighbor.
• Seek the help of a weight loss group such as Weight Watchers. Form a support group with members of your church or senior center.
• Remind yourself that you did not gain the weight overnight. It will take time to lose the weight.
• Don't think of what foods you are giving up. Think of what health you are gaining by taking care of yourself.

How can I tell how much weight I should lose?

Keeping our body weight within a healthy range helps protect us from diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. If your weight is more than it should be, you are more likely to develop these diseases. But, by losing even 5% to 10% of your current weight, you can decrease your risk of getting, or improve the management of those diseases. Each step toward a healthy weight is a benefit to your health.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a formula to calculate body fatness. Once you have figured out what your BMI is, you can figure out if you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.

It is wise to check with your doctor before attempting to lose weight to decide what is a safe weight loss goal for you.

What is a good weight loss diet?

As it has been said, "there are many ways to skin a cat!" Weight loss programs are no different. To select a program most likely to be successful, look for a plan that includes the following:

• Eating a variety of foods without eliminating entire groups of food. High protein diets lose points here because they focus on meat, fish, and poultry but limit whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products.

  Remember: if you eliminate groups of foods from your meals, you eliminate groups of important nutrients that will protect you from disease and poor health.

• Promoting moderate weight loss of 1 - 2 pounds per week. It is safer, and more effective, to lose weight gradually. Rapid weight loss typically results in rapid weight re-gain.

  Remember: For long-term success, the tortoise beats the hare.

• Encouraging healthy lifestyle modifications, especially 30 minutes of physical activity each day. If you "go on a diet" you will "go off a diet" and return to old habits. But if you change your lifestyle and adopt healthy habits, they will stay with you for a lifetime.

If I quit smoking, I will gain weight. What should I do?

After people quit smoking, it is common for people to gain 5 to 10 pounds over several months. Why? Nicotine is an appetite suppressant and it increases metabolism by about 200 calories per day. Without the effects of nicotine, people are likely to consume more food while burning fewer calories each day and gradually gain weight.

You can do many things to prevent weight gain.

• You can burn 100 - 200 calories a day by taking a brisk 30 minute walk depending on your speed and level of fitness.
• Feed your increased appetite with low calorie, healthy foods that your body needs
  Fresh veggie sticks
  Low fat popcorn
  Water - drink lots of it!
  Fresh fruit
  Low-calorie yogurt
  Herbal teas
  Frozen grapes

Resources:
Quitting Smoking and Weight Gain. How to Minimize Weight Gain When You Quit Smoking