ACTIVATE YOUR LIFEACTIVATE YOUR LIFEBe a winner!Be a winner!

Set realistic physical and Set realistic physical and nutrition goalsnutrition goals

Commit to these goals……Commit to these goals…… Note the change……Note the change……

physically and mentally for a physically and mentally for a better, healthy new you……..better, healthy new you……..

What do the studies say?

One in five adolescents are overweight. Numbers have doubled and even tripled in the last 20 years. Only 1 in 4 adolescents get 30 minutes of any form of physical activity a day. Watching 1 hour of TV a day can increase your weight by 5 kilograms in one year! More than 25% of adolescents in South Africa watch more than 3 hours of TV a day. Some kids spend as much as an average of 7.5 hours a day in front of a screen of sorts. 

Why is this so bad?Overweight adolescents tend to have at least one medical condition like asthma or high blood pressure. Overweight adolescents are prone to the negative psychosocial effects of their condition, like depression or isolation from their peers. Adolescents who are overweight are most likely to become obese as adults. Obesity is a major risk factor for preventable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Why are young people getting fatter?Why are young people getting fatter?

Obesity and overweight has become a major health problem in South Africa.  This can only be due to poor dietary habits and a lack of physical activity. 

Food intake has not only increased, but the types of foods eaten have changed. 

Tuckshops are filled with processed foods flooded in artificial flavourants, colourants and preservatives.  Sugar, fat and carbohydrate intakes have increased while fresh fruit and vegetable intake has decreased – gone are the days of five fruits and veg a day!  To add to that, children spend more time doing sedentary activities like watching TV, playing computer games and surfing the net; and less time being physically active.  Physical activity has also become more inaccessible due to urbanization and a lack of safety – many kids can not safely leave their homes on their own and there aren’t many parks or outdoor areas where they can spend their free time.

Being overweight sets up a vicious cycle – as kids put on weight, they tend to avoid physical activity because it becomes more awkward and uncomfortable and of course embarrassing.  Overweight kids are also usually teased and even bullied lowering their self-esteem.  This can lead to depression which often causes over-eating and makes you sleep longer and be even less active.  I’m sure you get the picture!

 

GOAL SETTING – BE “SMART”GOAL SETTING – BE “SMART”

Formulate a plan of action!Formulate a plan of action! Having a goal tells you where you

want to get to, or where you want to be. You however, need to figure out a way of getting there. This takes planning. Take note of specifics and get a plan down on paper.

Short Term Goals? Long Term Goals? ““SMART”SMART”

S = specificS = specificM= measurableM= measurableA = attainableA = attainableR = realisticR = realisticT = timeframeT = timeframe

There will be setbacks – so expect There will be setbacks – so expect them.them.

Nobody is perfect and you might have small lapses during the year. Maybe sleeping in late, or eating an extra large helping of dessert. These are minor setbacks – so do not equate these to complete failure. Instead of giving up and letting it slide further – get committed again! Understanding and acknowledging that there will be lapses actually can help you deal with them when they do happen.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLEHEALTHY LIFESTYLE

SOME TIPS:Try to eat 3 or 5 vegetable choices a day.

Try choose lean meat choices

Avoid frying foods and take aways

Foods made from whole grains are a good source of fibre – low GI

Fruit is best fresh and should be eaten daily.

Try and include 500ml of low fat milk products a day.

You MUST try and do at least 20-30 minutes of physical activity 3 times a week.

Drink water daily

FOOD GROUPSFOOD GROUPS

Protein Protein (Chicken, Fish, Meat, (Chicken, Fish, Meat, legumes)legumes)

Carbohydrates Carbohydrates (Cereals, (Cereals, Pasta, Rice, breads, potatoes)Pasta, Rice, breads, potatoes)

Fats – Fats – Good & BadGood & BadRaw nuts, fish/olive oils, omega 3 & 6 Raw nuts, fish/olive oils, omega 3 & 6 Fried foods, choc, chips etcFried foods, choc, chips etc

Fruit and VegetablesFruit and Vegetables Dairy Dairy (Low fat cheeses, (Low fat cheeses,

low fat milk, yogurt, low fat milk, yogurt,

cottage cheese)cottage cheese)

CARBOHYDRATES

5-7 servings (depending on how active you are)

FATS (use sparingly)

FRUIT AND VEG

3- 4 servings

PROTEIN

3 servings

DAIRY

2-3 servings

Serving portions per day

How should I divide my dinner plate?How should I divide my dinner plate?

½ should equal vegetables½ should equal vegetables ¼ should equal protein¼ should equal protein

¼ should equal carbohydrates¼ should equal carbohydrates

THE IMPORTANCE OF A THE IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLEHEALTHY LIFESTYLE

What do you think????What do you think???? DAY TO DAYDAY TO DAY LIFETIMELIFETIME

UNIVERSAL BODY UNIVERSAL BODY MASS INDEXMASS INDEX

BMI BMI = = a measure of fat, based on a measure of fat, based on your your height and your weight.height and your weight.

BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat.BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat.

UnderweightUnderweight == 18.5 or less18.5 or lessNormal weightNormal weight == 18.5 – 24.918.5 – 24.9OverweightOverweight == 25 – 29.925 – 29.9ObesityObesity == 30 - upwards30 - upwards

How to calculate your BMI:How to calculate your BMI:Your Height x Height Your Height x Height Weight divided by height squared Weight divided by height squared

REMEMBERREMEMBERNot only is it important to eat healthilyNot only is it important to eat healthily

BUTBUT

To be physically active to……….To be physically active to……….The two go hand in hand……The two go hand in hand……

Here are some practical tips and advice to help you stick to your exercise program:

•Reserve specific days and times for exercise – friends and family will then know about your regular exercise sessions. This will help you to not have to make a decision every time, but routinely exercise at a pre determined time.

•Start a log book to keep track of your improvements. You can also use a ‘balance sheet’. This is a list of the positive and negative aspects of regular exercise. The ‘credit’ side of regular exercise will undoubtedly outweigh the ‘debit’ side, therefore enforcing resolve to maintain training. Time invested in exercise is well spent time!

•Remember that it might take a few months to reach your exercises goals – it’s not going to happen overnight, so don’t rush things.

•Understand that in the outset of starting a new training program, there is going to be a certain amount of possible discomfort e.g. Stiff muscles and tired body.

Make sure that your goals are achievable – unreasonable goals only cause disappointment which is one of the major reasons for people stopping exercising.•Instead of just striving for outcome goals such as loosing a certain amount of weight or reaching a certain level of fitness, try to set process goals too. ‘Process goals’ means trying to achieve regular training sessions such as 4 sessions of 45 minutes per week for 6 weeks. In doing this, you will find that you are able to achieve your other goals (body weight and fitness) as well!!

Keep plans simple at the beginning and start out slowly. It’s important to see exercise as a way of life and not just as a means to resolve a problem such as loosing a few kilograms. Remember that logging the exercise that you complete can be used as a useful motivational as well as self management tool because it forms a bridge between hard work and distant outcomes such as fitness and weight loss.

ARE YOU READY ARE YOU READY TO TAKE THE TO TAKE THE CHALLENGE?CHALLENGE?