Control Your Weight

Taking sensible steps to a healthy weight:

A sensible start to weight control starts with healthy eating. Find simple, healthy ways to reduce the number of calories you consume each day. Small changes over time can really add up.

Cutting just 250 calories a day can turn into 1/2 pound of weight loss a week. That's over 25 pounds a year!

Just as important as healthy eating is the need to increase your physical activity. Find some simple ways to burn up calories during the day. Again, just a little goes a long way. Doing a little more walking, or a little extra housework, can burn more calories than you might think.

The following table offers some specific suggestions that are part of a sensible start to a weight control program. Talk to your doctor and pick at least one option that's right for you, and stick with it. Monitoring your progress can also be a motivation tool, you can use our BMI calculator to monitor your progress.

HEALTHY EATING

Find a simple way to reduce the number of calories you consume each day. Small changes over time can add up: Cutting just 250 calories a day can turn into 1/2 pound a week. That's over 25 pounds a year!

1. Have a water or no-calorie beverage

Replace sugar-sweetened sodas with water, low-calorie fruit drinks, or diet sodas. The average soda has 150 calories, the same diet soda has zero.

Average savings: 110-150 calories

2. Eat fruit instead of a candy bar

The average candy bar has approximately 250 calories and may be high in fat. Fruit is high in fiber. A small apple, banana, or orange has only 60 calories.

Average savings: 190 calories

3. Switch to a non-caloric sweetener

If you bake, or add sugar to beverages, try one of the non-caloric sweeteners, like SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener. You can use it just like sugar.

Average savings: 14 calories per teaspoon

4. Don't have fries with that

A small package of fries is about 200 calories; a large is up to 600 calories.

Average savings: 200-600 calories

5. Reduce your average portion size

Big portions are associated with weight gain. For example, try 1 cup of ice cream instead of a 1 1/2 or 2 cup serving.

Average savings: 140-280 calories

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Find some simple ways to burn up calories during the day. Try one of these ideas (or one of your own) and talk to your doctor. Monitoring your progress can also be a motivating tool.

1. Park it and walk

Don't look for a parking spot close to your destination. Find a spot far away or down the street. Then walk. Every 200 steps burns 10 calories. Doing this for just a month can make a difference.

2. Do something extra

Take on an extra job around the house for a month. Depending on your weight and gender, here's what an hour's worth of extra housework can burn: dusting, 180 to 212 calories; vacuuming, 230 to 270 calories; window washing, 280 to 330 calories.

3. Put down the remote

Just getting up to turn the TV on and off, raise the volume, and change the channels will burn calories.

4. Don't hold that elevator

Use stairs instead of the elevator. If you work on the 6th floor, get off on the 4th and walk up.

5. Take an extra 2,000 steps

Walking every day can be beneficial. Two thousand steps will take you about a mile, and burn an extra 100 calories a day.

Get Control of your weight with a little help from SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener:

Use our SPLENDA® Calorie Reduction Calculator to help you determine how much weight you could lose by substituting SPLENDA® for sugar in your everyday life.

SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener can help:

  • No Calories per serving
  • Made from sugar, tastes like sugar, but it's not sugar
  • Available in packet form for use in beverages and sprinkling on foods
  • SPLENDA® Granulated measures cup for cup like sugar and stays sweet in cooking and baking
  • Suitable for the whole family, including people trying to control their calorie intake and people with diabetes
  • Join the SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener Recipe Club.

THINK SUGAR, USE SPLENDA®