Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall wellbeing, but it can be challenging to know where to start. With so much information available, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Let’s explore ways to manage weight in a healthy way, the role of a health coach in your journey and how a doctor can provide valuable support.
Managing Your Weight the Healthy Way
Balanced Diet
Include fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains. It’s good to include a variety of foods in each food group instead of following a strict diet that focuses on 1 or 2 types of food.
Regular Exercise
Moving your body is key! Find something that is enjoyable to do, like walking, swimming, hiking or playing a sport, and do it regularly.
Mindful Eating
Pay attention to how hungry or full you feel. Eat slowly and enjoy your food so you don’t eat too much. It takes around 20 minutes to feel full after eating.
Getting Enough Sleep
Make sure you sleep 7-9 hours every night. Good sleep helps your body stay healthy and manage weight better.
Managing Stress
Feeling stressed can sometimes make you want to eat more. Try doing things that help you relax, like deep breathing, reading or playing a game.
Weight Loss Medicines
Sometimes eating healthy and exercising isn’t enough on its own. Your doctor might suggest medication to help you lose weight. This helps by making you feel less hungry or fuller quicker and affects the way your body absorbs fat. But you should only take them if your doctor prescribes them. You can talk about weight loss medication with First Stop Health Virtual Primary Care doctors!
How Your Health Coach Can Help
Your health coach is your personal, non-judgmental guide to staying healthy. Here’s how they can help you manage your weight:
Personal Plan
A health coach will develop a weight management plan just for you! It will help you reach your goals to improve your health.
Changing Bad Habits
If you have unhealthy eating habits, like eating too much processed food, a health coach can help you change those. They’ll work with you to create new ones that work for your lifestyle.
Stay on Track
It can be hard to stick to a plan, but your health coach will check in with you to make sure you’re doing okay. They help you stay on track and keep going, even when it’s tough.
How Your Doctor Can Help
Your doctor is important for making sure your weight plan is safe and healthy. Here’s what they do:
Health Check-Up
A doctor can check your overall health to see if there are any problems that might affect your weight, like a slow thyroid. They might suggest tests to learn more.
Weight Loss Medicine
If eating healthy and exercising isn’t enough, your doctor might give you medicine to help. These medicines make you feel less hungry or help your body use less fat.
Special Help
If you need extra help because of health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure, your doctor can refer you to a diabetes education specialist. They’ll collaborate with you and your doctor to make sure you’re managing your weight in the most effective and appropriate way.
Keeping a healthy weight is important, and there are lots of good ways to do it. Remember, it’s okay if it takes time—what matters is making progress. Every small step brings you closer to feeling better and being healthier! Schedule a visit with a First Stop Health provider to get started!
Care you will love.
