If you want to find your healthy weight and maintain it, consider more than the number on the scale and follow the advice of weight loss specialists.

How much should you weigh? How much do you want to weigh? How much could you weigh, realistically?

These questions probably produce three different answers. That's why weight loss specialists suggest that you consider more than just the number on the scale to determine whether you are at a healthy weight.

Many people get so focused on the number on the scale that they get discouraged when it doesn't change. This is why weight loss specialists advise their clients to focus instead on making diet and lifestyle choices that will allow them to reach a healthy weight and stay there.

Whether you are overweight or underweight, these tips can help you move toward a healthier weight:

Go by the inches. Even if the number on the scale isn't moving, changes in the way your clothes fit can indicate whether your healthy habits are paying off.

Talk to your doctor. Being overweight increases your risk for elevated blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.  To schedule an appointment with a weight loss specialist at Guthrie click here

Be active. Strive for 60 minutes of activity every day. You'll be more successful if you make it fun.

Control portions. During each meal, 50 percent of your plate should be vegetables; 25 percent, fish or lean meats; and 25 percent, bread and other starches.

Recognize hunger and fullness. On the scale of 1 to 10, if 1 equals "starving" and 10 equals "stuffed," always maintain your fullness level between 3 and 7 to prevent overeating or not eating enough.

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^{Date Last Reviewed: October 15, 2024}

^{Editorial Review: Andrea Cohen, Editorial Director, Baldwin Publishing, Inc. Contact Editor}

^{Medical Review: Perry Pitkow, MD}

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