If you've been able to lose weight, good for you! You've taken the extra strain off your heart and lowered your risk for heart problems. Keeping the extra weight off is often a greater challenge. But you can do it. You'll find that support from others is very helpful in this phase. It takes commitment to stick to your new, healthy lifestyle. When you do, you may:

• have more self-control with food;
• feel stronger;
• have better eating habits;
• have fewer mood swings; and
• be in better overall shape.
  

After You ReachYour Best Weight:

• Add about 200 calories of healthful, low-fat food to your average daily intake.
• After a week, if you're still losing weight, add a few hundred more calories.
• If you change the amount of exercise you do, adjust your eating.
• Keep a record of what you eat and how much exercise you do so you'll know how to make adjustments.
• Keep fresh, low-fat foods around. Use a shopping list, and don't shop when you're hungry.
• Plan your meals. When you're at a party or you eat out, think ahead of time what you can do to make it easier to eat right.
• At a buffet table, choose wisely. At a friend's house, control your portions.
• When you're hungry between meals, drink a glass of water or eat a piece of fruit and stay out of the kitchen.
• When you really crave a high-calorie food, eat a small amount and forget about it, instead of resisting until you give in and gorge on it. If you don't trust yourself with just a little, don't eat any at all.
  

Stay Active! Don't Give Up Your Exercise Plan.

The information contained on this page is not intended to provide medical advice, which should be obtained directly from your physician.