You can be too thin. Being overweight is not advisable - but neither is being much below your desirable weight. Losing too much weight can cause health problems. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are serious eating disorders. Persons with these disorders usually think they look fat (even though they may be thin) and have an abnormal fear of being fat. Common traits or persons suffering from anorexia and/or bulimia include bizarre food habits, refusal to eat, binging or gorging followed by vomiting, abuse of laxatives and diuretics, and an extreme urge to exercise. Such practices can result in chronic health problems and even death.

Talk to your doctor if you plan to follow a low-calorie diet for a long time, or an extremely low-calorie diet even for a short time.


Don't Forget Exercise

Cutting calorie intake is one way to shed pounds - but the best approach is to decrease calories (particularly calories from fat and sugar) AND increase physical activity. Exercise burns calories and improves overall fitness as you lose weight. It can also help relieve stress that may lead to overeating.

Don't feel that you have to be an athlete to make physical activity count. In fact, it's best to make slow, steady increases in your activity level. There are many ways to increase the activity level in your daily routine; walk or bicycle instead of driving, use the stairs instead of the elevator, stand rather than sit.

The number of calories burned depends on the vigor of the activity (running burns more than walking), length of the activity (the longer the activity continues, the more calories burned), and your weight (a heavier person uses more calories than a lighter person for the same activity). Remember that even small changes in activity level can make a difference over time.

Caution: Before you start an exercise or sports program, check with your doctor to help you decide what activity is best for your age and general condition.


FOODS TO INCLUDE IN A HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS PLAN

A healthy weight loss plan includes a diet made up of a variety of foods. More than 40 nutrients are important for good health. No one food contains all of these nutrients in the amounts needed. Thus, you need different kinds of foods in your diet. A healthy weight loss plan counts on the lower calorie choices from these different kinds of foods. To help you plan a varied diet, we've grouped foods by the nutrients they contain:

- Breads, cereals, and other grain products
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Meat, poultry, fish, and alternates (eggs, dry beans, and nuts)
- Milk, yogurt, and cheese
 

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