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Obesity (cont.)

Self-Care at Home

By decreasing daily calorie intake by 500 calories or expending an extra 500 calories during exercise each day, you will lose about 1 pound per week.

Any good diet plan will include exercise. It helps to increase metabolism and is one less opportunity to eat during the day. You should exercise for at least 30 minutes, 5 times a week. Regular exercise also helps your heart and lungs and lowers triglyceride levels that can cause heart disease. It also increases the HDL ("good cholesterol") levels. Even simple measures such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator and short walks eventually add up to a lot of calories burned.

Group support programs such as Weight Watchers or Take Off Pounds Sensibly, known as TOPS, provide peer support and promote healthy habits.

For a more complete discussion of lifestyle changes that are helpful in losing weight, see Weight Loss and Control.

Of special interest to women who have gained weight after having a baby is the fact that breastfeeding helps you shed some extra pounds. It is good for your baby, too.