Dealing With Weight Management

Excess weight is not healthy for your body. It can cause a strain on your heart, as well as on your bones and joints. Although many people look to miracle drugs or crash diets to help them lose weight, these methods can have negative effects on health, and the results are usually short term. The most effective long-term treatment for weight management is a commitment to a well-balanced diet and exercise program.

A quick way to determine your healthy weight is as follows:

Women:
100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height. Then add 5 pounds for every inch above 5 feet. For example, if you are 5'4" tall, your target weight would be 120 pounds. If you are large framed, you can add about 10%, which would equal 132 pounds in the example. If you are very small framed, subtract 10%, which would equal 108 pounds.

Men:
106 pounds for the first 5 feet of height. Then add 6 pounds for every inch above 5 feet. For example, if you are 5'11" tall, your target body weight would be 172 pounds. As above, you can add 10% if you are large framed and subtract 10% if you are small framed.

Strategies to Improve Eating Habits

Helpful hints for improving your eating habits include:

Clean out your cupboards at home. Make a decision not to have foods in your kitchen that are not a part of your new healthy diet
Avoid eating between meals. This adds extra calories you don't need and slows down the digestive process
If you snack, choose low-calorie/high-fiber foods, such as carrots, celery, and popcorn.
Chew your food well
Avoid fast foods. When you must eat at a fast food restaurant, choose a salad instead of a hamburger and avoid french fries
Plan to cook healthy meals with your friends. You can help each other choose the right foods and have fun preparing meals together

Controlling Your Hunger

Some of the medicines you are taking to treat bipolar disorder may increase your appetite.

There are things you can do, however, to decrease your hunger and the desire to eat. Here are some helpful hints for controlling hunger:

Take a walk when you feel hungry
Drink a glass of water or other sugar-free beverage
Eat a rice cake or a half-cup of raw vegetables
Chew sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free mints
Know the difference between “mouth hunger” (the urge to use food to soothe feelings of boredom, nervousness, anger, sadness, or stress) and “stomach hunger” (your body's way of telling you it needs food)

Tips for Eating Wisely on a Limited Budget

In general, a diet that places less emphasis on meat, dairy products, packaged or processed foods, and fast foods will usually be more economical. For persons on a limited or fixed income, budgeting is especially important. Here are some ways to trim your food budget:

Buy fruits and vegetables in season. Look for farmers' markets where fresh produce is often sold in bulk and can be offered at reasonable prices.

Buy larger packages of certain foods. Grocers offer “family size” packages of food at discount, but you should purchase these items only if you know you will use them before they spoil or get stale.

Proper food storage. Store foods in airtight containers or in the freezer to protect them from spoilage, moisture, and bugs.

Buy store brands. Store brands or generic products tend to be more affordable than name brands, and their quality is typically the same as name brands.

Watch unit pricing. Some grocery stores place tags near food items that show how much you are paying for a small unit of product. For example, a 10-ounce box of cereal costs $3.60. The unit price per ounce is $0.36. Unit pricing can be used to compare the cost of 2 similar products in different sized packaging. Although larger packages often cost less per ounce than smaller ones, this is not always true. It's important to check the unit price.

Use coupons. Some stores give double value on coupons up to $0.50. Make sure that you compare prices with store brands to ensure that you are getting the best buy.

Have dinner with friends. Sharing the cost of meals with others you know who have to watch their budgets can save everyone money. Another advantage is that the responsibility for preparing meals can be shared with others, so it seems like less work—even fun! Sharing meals can prevent isolation and you can use your friends as a support group to help you maintain your healthier eating habits and lifestyle.

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Talk to Your Doctor

If you have additional questions or concerns about this topic, talk to your doctor.