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Preventing Weight Gain
To help people contend with
this environment, AICR has issued a new brochure entitled, Don't Let It
Happen. The brochure advises slender people to set a limit on
weight gain by
mentally adding 11 lbs. (5 Kg.) to their current weight. They should commit
themselves to stay within that limit.
When people see their weight
moving toward the limit they have set, the brochure (issued by AICR) advises, it
is time to make changes in their
daily routine that will keep them well within
their healthy weight range. Three steps have been suggested:
1. Move Toward a
Plant-based
diet. By eating a greater proportion of
vegetables and fruits, whole grains
and beans, people can reduce the number of
calories they consume and still feel
full.
2. Keep Physically Active. Weight gain is usually preceded by an often unnoticed decrease in
physical
activity. Getting
active again will help to prevent further the damage
 3. Watch Your
Portion Sizes.
During the past two decades, portion sizes in
restaurants and homes have
escalated. If eating more vegetables and fruits and increasing physical
activity do not bring weight under control, then maintaining the proportion of
plant foods on the plate, but reducing portion sizes all around should do so. In a nut shell, people are advised to serve themselves a little less than they
are used to and stop eating when they are satisfied, not when the plate or
package is empty.
Remember, taking off 20 or 30 lbs.
is challenging; shedding 3 or 4 lbs. before things get out of hand is relatively
easy. When the
bathroom scale or the pinch of your belt says you are moving
toward the limit you have set yourself, take action right away.
Limiting Weight during
Adulthood
There are certain periods when one
is prone to gain weight, these are the times which require more rigorou s
changes in the daily routine. Women may be more prone to weight gain during
three key periods connected to
hormonal and lifestyle changes:
-
After the onset of menstruation
- In general, girls begin to see more curves in their figure, as they gain
weight in areas such as their hips with the onset of puberty. This weight gain
is normal and should not be a sign to diet. The extra weight is an important
part of becoming a woman.
-
After menopause- Menopause
is a medical term used to describe the time one year AFTER you stop having
periods, which occurs around age 51. But the ten or more years before your
ovaries go “two claws up” can put you on a hormonal roller-coaster ride every
month. During 35-55
women experience either
weight gain
or find that maintaining weight becomes more difficult with progression in
age. You also discover that the weight you gain tends to accumulate around
your stomach, rather than your hips and thighs. On average, women may
experience a gain of approximately 10-15 pounds in the years surrounding
menopause.
 When you face these critical
stages, remember that you have made a commitment to stay within the 11 pound
weight limit you set for yourself. Renewing your zeal for a mostly plant-based
diet,
increasing physical activity and reducing portion sizes can compensate for
situational changes.
Related Links
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should
ideally gain, usually about 20 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. If you are
overweight, you should still gain 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy. 