If your family is obese, consult a physician before carrying out your plan. If one or more family members are obese, it is best you consult a physician for a safe weight loss plan. They will usually have you meet with a nutritionist who can decide how many calories you need a day, and how much physical exercise is recommended. Don’t get disappointed – it may take longer to lose the weight, but you will notice a difference and stay safe while making these much needed changes.
Set a healthy weight goal for your family. Have your family set healthy weight goals for themselves. Record it on a document that your family can view privately – maybe in the bathroom cabinet or in their room. As your family loses weight or inches, record it on the document. Seeing the way your new healthy attitude changes your body and energy levels is a great motivator.
Decide how to achieve your weight goal, and do it together. Once your family has set its goal, discuss the best way to achieve that goal – together. It is important to work as a team so no one feels excluded or bad about the extra pounds they have. Remember – you are changing behaviors to become healthy, not to single anyone out.
Change your portion sizes. Healthy portions are one major factor in losing weight. We get caught up in “bigger is better” and don’t realize that portion size matters. For example, a healthy portion of meat is the size of a deck of cards, a healthy portion of cereal is the size of your fist and a healthy portion of fruit is the size of a baseball.
Eat at the table, not in front of the television. Sitting down together as a family and eating a meal not only spawns interesting conversation, it allows you to actually enjoy your meal. When sitting at the television, you are more likely to shovel the food in and go back for seconds since you are glued to the boob tube and not your body's signals.