Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Prostate 8 presents information on diet and physical activity separately, but achieving and maintaining a healthy weight requires us to think about both together. Your body weight is largely determined by energy balance: balancing your calorie intake (how much energy you consume) with your calorie expenditure (how much energy you burn). Calories are a measure of energy. If the calories you eat are equal to the calories you use up, you have achieved energy balance and your weight will stay the same. But balancing calorie intake and expenditure can be hard to do. Certain foods, namely refined carbohydrates like white bread, juices, and sugared beverages, are processed quickly by the body and can cause a spike, and subsequent drop, in blood sugar levels. This may actually make you feel hungry again a short while after eating, even though you consumed sufficient calories. In contrast, healthy fats, lean proteins, and vegetables are digested slowly and help keep hunger at bay.

Aim to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Many studies use body mass index (BMI) to study weight. BMI is a measure of body weight adjusted for height. For example, for a healthy BMI of 19–24, a 5’ 8” tall man would weigh between 125–168 pounds, while a 6’ tall man would weigh between 140–177 pounds. Among most adults, higher BMI is an indication of more body fat. A BMI above 25 kg/m2is associated with increased risk of disease and all-cause mortality. Among men with prostate cancer, higher BMI levels at the time of diagnosis have been associated with increased risk of biochemical recurrence and prostate cancer-specific mortality.

Do you know what your BMI is? Use this simple calculator, provided by the National Institutes of Health to find out: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

Here are three useful tips to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight:

1) Avoid sugary drinks. This includes sports drinks, any type of soda, and fruit juice. These are “empty” calories coming mostly from sugar that we tend to add on top of our usual diet, which can lead to excess calorie intake and weight gain.

2) Choose vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats over refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates are “empty” calories that are metabolized quickly and result in a spike (and subsequent drop) in blood sugar, leading you to feel hungry again a short time after eating. To identify these foods, think ‘white’ — white bread, pasta, white rice, potatoes, baked goods made with white flour and sugar. We recommend replacing such foods with lots of vegetables, lean proteins (seafood, poultry), whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils), and healthy fats (olive oil, nuts). Vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber, water, and nutrients. If fresh vegetables are not in season or expensive, consider buying frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables often have as much or more nutrients than fresh because they are quickly frozen after picking. If choosing frozen or canned vegetables, be sure to select ones that do not have any added ingredients — syrups and sauces add unwanted calories fast. You cannot consume too many fresh vegetables! Lean proteins and healthy vegetable fats also provide essential nutrients while helping you to feel satiated and full, which leads to less overeating in the long-term.

3) Revise your plate. Adjust the relative proportions of food groups and total amount of food. Follow this simple rule of thumb: 2/3 (or more) vegetables and whole grains and 1/3 (or less) lean protein (seafood, poultry, tofu). Consider serving two or more types of vegetables at each meal for variety, such as a steamed or roasted vegetable (green beans, broccoli, cauliflower) and a green salad. Use healthy oils (like olive oil) when cooking, as a dressing for vegetables or grains, and at the table; 1 tablespoon = 1 serving of olive oil. If weight loss is your goal, maintain the 2/3 veggies and whole grains to 1/3 lean protein, and slightly reduce the total amount of food on your plate. Using a smaller plate or bowl can be helpful to achieve smaller portions. Reduce portions by small amounts that you can maintain, and your body will get used to eating slightly smaller amounts without feeling deprived. Small changes add up over time, and gradual weight loss that you can maintain is preferable to rapid weight loss that doesn’t last.

See additional tips and delicious recipes on the Prostate 8 website.