No Heart Left Behind

Smoking and Obesity

In Delaware, about two thirds of adult residents are classified as either overweight or obese. The more you weigh, the harder your heart has to work.

It’s not that folks aren’t trying to lose weight. Billions of dollars are spent annually on fad diets, magic pills and miracle potions that don’t work. Successful weight loss results from making small changes in your habits and food choices that you’re willing to continue long-term. It's all about the balance between "calories in" and "calories out." Eating sensibly and moving more are key ingredients for successful "waist management."

Simple ways to cut out 100 calories from foods

In place of 2 cups of whole milk, drink 2 cups of 1 percent milk.
Instead of 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on your sandwich, use mustard.
Switch from 1 cup of regular soda to 1 cup of diet soda.
Use 1 tablespoon of salad dressing for your salad instead of two.
Use 1 tablespoon of lowfat sour cream instead of 1 tablespoon of butter on your baked potato.
Order the small fries instead of a medium at a fast food restaurant.
Substitute 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese for 2 tablespoons regular on bagels or toast.
Use a cooking spray in place of butter or margarine when stove-top cooking.
Put lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles on your burger and skip the cheese.
Choose 1 cup of 1 percent cottage cheese instead of full fat (4 percent) cottage cheese.
Dish up a half cup of lowfat frozen yogurt instead of a half cup of premium ice cream.
Eat two cookies instead of three.
Select diet flavored iced teas instead of regular iced tea.
Use fresh lemon to season fish instead of 2 tablespoons tartar sauce.
Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.

Simple ways to burn an extra 100 calories with activity

Cycling for 10 minutes.
Video workout for 10 to 15 minutes.
Brisk walking for 15 minutes.
Stair climbing for 15 to 20 minutes.
Dancing for 20 minutes.
Swimming for just 10-15 minutes.
Play Basketball for 15 minutes.
Jog through water for 10 minutes.
Jumping rope for 10 minutes.
Ice skating for 15 minutes.
Walking the dog for 20 minutes at a brisk pace.
Use the elliptical for 10-12 minutes.
Rowing machine for about 12-13 minutes.
Stair step machine for 15 minutes.
Yoga for 20 minutes.

Smoking is bad for your heart

There are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke that are known to damage our hearts and lungs.

Smoking increases the risk of heart disease and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Smoking also decreases tolerance for physical activity, making it harder to get heart healthy movement. Exposure to other people's smoke increases the risk of heart disease, even for nonsmokers. The Delaware Quitline is a toll-free service available for free to any Delawarean over age 18. Call 866-409-1858.

Your coaching assignment for this week:

Discuss how smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke increase the risk for heart disease. If she smokes, talk about the benefits of quitting, as well as resources.
Point out the link between excess weight and risk for heart disease. If she is overweight, have her select one to three things she is willing to try from the list above.
Take the Portion Distortion Quiz (part of her assignment) and ask her if she was surprised by any of the answers.
Help her to stay focused on her physical activity and nutrition goals.
Remind her to attend the COPP Keep Moving Lesson and Zumba Fitness Class (see schedule).

Coaching Tip

It’s unrealistic to think that an individual can work on two major behavior changes at the same time, like quitting smoking and losing weight, and be successful. If the person you are coaching is a smoker and she needs to lose weight, suggest that she target one behavior change at a time.

Weekly review question

Q: Name two modifiable risk factors for heart disease.

A: Smoking and obesity.