Diet

• Eat and drink only in the kitchen or dining room.
• Decrease fat intake by using:
  • Skim or 1% milk
  • 1% cottage cheese
  • Part skim/non-fat cheese
  • "Lite" sour cream
  • Low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt
  • Lean cuts of meat - no skin
  • Fat-free salad dressing and mayonnaise
  • Limit juice to 4-8 oz. per day
  • Eliminate sugary beverages like Kool-Aid, regular soda, and sports drinks (ex: Gatorade)
  • Drink water, un-sweetened tea, sugar-free beverages, or skim milk
• Do not eat while watching TV, videos or DVD's, playing video/computer games, or studying.
• 3 meals +/- after school snack. Bedtime snack not needed!!! No grazing between meals.
• One serving of each food group at a meal - watch serving size, such as one cookie for a dessert treat - not 3 cookies.
• Seconds of lower calorie options like salads, fruit, non-starchy vegetables are good choices.
• Do not keep potato chips, Cheetos, cookies, candy, donuts, cakes, pies on hand. Opt for fat free pretzels, low butter popcorn, fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Avoid fried or deep fried foods.
• Avoid creamy sauces and gravies.
• Limit amount of fast foods - no super sizing. Consider a children's meal.
• Eat meals as a family to monitor food intake.
• Do not use food as a reward.
• Adolescents (10-21 years of age): 3-4 servings of dairy products per day.
• Have parents act as role models.
• Limit "fast foods" to no more than one time per week.

Exercise

• Limit TV and computer use to 1 hour each day on weekdays, and 2 hours each day on weekends.
• Turn the TV off at meal or snack time.
• Ditch the TV remote - get up and change the channel.
• No TV, DVD or videos in child's bedroom.
• 30-60 minutes of active play or exercise daily in addition to PE classes is helpful.
  • Go for a walk or jog or run
  • Mow lawn, shovel snow
  • Help clean house
  • Walk the dog
  • Go swimming
  • Shoot baskets
  • Exercise bike, jump rope or walk on a treadmill
  • Walk to school - weather/distance permitting
  • Play catch
  • Dance to CD's, videos, TV
  • Mall walk
  • Go sledding or skating
  • Ride bike with helmet on
  • Do floor exercises - pilates