People develop obesity when their body stores more calories than it uses over time. Your body needs calories (and essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients) to work properly and to be active. But if your body stores more calories than it uses, you will gain weight.
Healthy Weight
What is a healthy weight? The answer is different for everyone. But it’s important to know what a healthy weight is for you. Check out our top questions and answers on weight, weight gain, and weight loss. And talk to your doctor or nurse about your weight goals. Women often gain and lose weight differently, so the steps you need to take to lose weight may be different from the steps someone else needs to take.
Two out of every three women in the United States have overweight or obesity. Extra weight leads to many diseases that affect women, such as heart disease, diabetes, and many cancers. It can be difficult to talk about your weight with a doctor or nurse. A doctor or nurse you feel comfortable with can be a powerful partner in helping you reach a healthier weight.
You can use the body mass index (BMI) to find out whether your weight is in a healthy or unhealthy range. BMI is a tool to estimate body fat. Type your height and weight into this BMI calculator.
Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight.
Women with a BMI of 30 or more have obesity.
BMI gives you a good idea of how healthy your weight is. But it doesn’t tell the whole story. BMI is less accurate in some people than in others. For example, if you are very muscular, you may be healthy even if your BMI is above 25. This is because muscle weighs more than fat.
Another way to figure out if you have a healthy weight is to measure your waist circumference (the distance around your waist). Researchers and doctors have agreed that women with a waist circumference larger than 35 inches are at higher risk for many health problems caused by overweight or obesity.
People develop obesity when their body stores more calories than it uses over time. Your body needs calories (and essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients) to work properly and to be active. But if your body stores more calories than it uses, you will gain weight.
Researchers know that a person’s environment over a lifetime can influence whether obesity happens. While it’s true that the food you eat is an important part of weight gain or loss, other parts of your life that you do not control can make obesity more likely. Learn more about how where you live affects weight.
Obesity is a complex disease that is the result of many different parts of a person’s life that happen over a long period of time. Things that can affect your weight include:
Genes and family background. Obesity tends to run in families. But there is not one “fat” gene. There are many genes that may work together to make you more likely to gain weight. The situation you live in also affects your genes. When you are a baby or young child, your parents or caregivers control your eating and physical activity. This family background can influence your weight as an adult.
Metabolism. People’s metabolism rates (how fast your body “burns” calories) may vary for many reasons, and this can affect weight gain and loss. For instance, men usually have more muscle and less fat than women do, so men’s bodies might burn more calories more quickly. A woman’s metabolism may change throughout her life, such as with the hormonal changes that happen during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.
Age. Your metabolism may slow down as you get older. Also, as we age, we lose muscle. With less muscle to burn calories, we need fewer calories.
Trauma. Many events in the past that you didn’t have control over and are not your fault can affect when and how quickly you gain weight. Women who experience serious, negative events during childhood, such as abuse or a parent with a problem with alcohol or drugs, are more likely to have obesity as adults. Researchers have found that girls who are sexually abused may be more likely to gain weight faster as young adults and develop obesity at a younger age. Also, women who experience a traumatic event at any time and develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be more likely to gain weight quickly after the traumatic event and develop obesity.
Medicines. Many of the medicines that women take every day, including medicines for mental health conditions, sleep, and high blood pressure, can cause weight gain or make it difficult to lose weight. If you take any prescription medicine and have extra weight, talk to the doctor or nurse who prescribed the medicine about the best ways to safely lose weight and possible alternatives to that prescription medicine.
Sleep. Not getting enough high-quality sleep can lead to weight gain. Researchers think this may be because low-quality sleep can affect your hormone levels, which can affect your appetite and food choices. Not getting enough sleep to feel rested may also affect how much physical activity or exercise you get throughout the day.
Many parts of our everyday lives may make weight gain very common. These include:
Neighborhoods. How easy or safe is it to walk and be physically active? Some neighborhoods don’t have sidewalks or parks. It may not be safe to walk around outside in other neighborhoods. Some places where people live have so much traffic that it may be difficult for people with disabilities to get around outside.
Healthy food availability. Are healthy food options close to where you live, work, or go to school? Many people do not have low-cost, healthy food options where they live. Some people live near many fast-food restaurants but no grocery stores.
Pollution. Is there air pollution or other pollution where you live? Some researchers found that air pollution, including secondhand smoke, is linked to obesity. Some researchers think that chemicals from pollution in the food we eat can lead to obesity in the United States. Sometimes living close to highways or other busy roads may increase your chances of obesity.
Yes. Women of certain ages, races, and ethnicities are more or less likely than others to have overweight or obesity:
More than four in five African-American women have overweight or obesity.
More than three in four Mexican-American women have overweight or obesity.
More than six in 10 white women have overweight or obesity.
About six in 10 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander women have overweight or obesity.
More than half of American Indian and Alaska Native women have overweight or obesity.
About one in three Asian American women have overweight or obesity.
Lesbians and bisexual women are more likely to have overweight or obesity than heterosexual women.
About one in three American women over 60 has obesity. Older women who have larger waist sizes (greater than 35 inches) than healthy-weight women are more likely to have a disability and are more likely to die before age 85.
Among all races and ethnicities, women with lower incomes and less education are more likely to have obesity than women with higher incomes and more education. Many factors may play a role, including a lack of access to healthy food and safe places for physical activity.
Overweight and obesity indirectly cause millions of deaths each year. Having overweight or obesity raises your risk for many serious health problems:
Breathing problems. Women who have overweight or obesity may develop sleep apnea. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing briefly or to take shallow breaths while you sleep. It may be caused by fat in the neck that narrows the airways. People with sleep apnea do not get enough oxygen to their brain or body during sleep. This can cause many health problems, including heart disease.
Many types of cancer. Women who have overweight or obesity are more at risk for 13 different kinds of cancer: breast, colon and rectal, endometrial, gallbladder, stomach, esophagus (throat), liver, kidney, meningioma (cancer of the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord), multiple myeloma (cancer of blood plasma cells), pancreatic, ovarian, and thyroid cancers.
Diabetes. Extra weight makes you twice as likely to get diabetes. Weight loss can prevent diabetes. It can also help control blood glucose if you already have diabetes and make you less likely to need medicine to control diabetes.
Heart disease. The more excess weight you have, the higher your risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death of women in the United States. This is true even if you have no other health conditions that raise your risk of heart disease. Learn more about how overweight and obesity affect your risk for heart disease.
High blood pressure. Compared with women who do not have overweight or obesity, women with overweight are twice as likely to have high blood pressure. Women with obesity are three times as likely to have it. Losing weight helps reduce blood pressure. High blood pressure damages your arteries and can lead to many other serious health problems such as stroke and heart disease.
High cholesterol. Excess fat sends chemical signals that change how your body processes food. It raises LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol. This speeds the buildup of fatty plaque in our arteries. Losing weight can help get cholesterol to healthy levels. High LDL cholesterol can cause heart disease and other serious health problems.
Pregnancy problems. If you have overweight or obesity, it may be more difficult to get pregnant. Overweight and obesity can also cause complications during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes or dangerously high blood pressure. Obesity can also cause a more serious condition called preeclampsia. Getting early and regular prenatal care can help you and your doctor be aware of any problems and help prevent them.
Stroke. Having overweight or obesity increases your risk of stroke, especially when you carry extra body fat around your waist (apple-shaped body) rather than around your hips and thighs (pear-shaped body). Learn more about how excess weight can raise your risk for stroke.
Even a small amount of weight loss (3% to 5% of your body weight or less) can help lower your risk for these health problems. If you are a 160-pound woman, losing just 5 to 8 pounds, or 3% to 5% of your body weight, can make you healthier. Talk to your doctor or nurse about your risk and how much weight you may need to lose.
Yes. Where you carry your weight makes a difference in your health. Belly fat is more dangerous for your health than fat carried elsewhere.
Women with an apple-shaped body may have a higher risk for heart disease than women with a pear-shaped body.
Apple-shaped and pear-shaped body types
Some women tend to carry fat in the belly area (apple-shaped). Other women tend to carry fat in their hips and thighs (pear-shaped). Extra weight is never healthy, but being apple-shaped increases your risk for certain health problems, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer, more than being pear-shaped does. That is because the type of fat your body stores in your abdomen, near your stomach, is different from the type of fat stored in your thighs and hips.
BMI tells you about how much fat you have on your body, but it does not show where you carry your weight. To measure your waist size, stand up straight and place a tape measure around your middle, just above your hip bones. Measure your waist just after you breathe out.
Most women should aim for a waist size of less than 35 inches.
Of course, this does not mean that if you carry your weight in your hips you should not worry. It’s important for all women — no matter where you carry your weight — to be physically active and eat healthy to lower your risk for health problems.
If you are worried about your weight, or if you have overweight or obesity, talk to your doctor or nurse. Your weight can raise your risk for many health problems and make it harder to get pregnant.
Your doctor or nurse may suggest healthy eating changes and more physical activity to help you reach a healthy weight.
For more information about weight and obesity, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Health Risks of Being Overweight — Information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Weight-control Information Network.
Healthy Weight — Information for women from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In today’s world, thinness is often praised. But being underweight, when your weight is lower than what is considered healthy for your height, can be a sign of a serious health problem. Many different things can cause women to be underweight, including eating habits, health problems, and medicines. Underweight can cause other health problems and problems getting pregnant. You can work with your doctor or nurse to help you reach a healthy weight.
You can use the body mass index (BMI) to find out whether your weight is in a healthy or unhealthy range. BMI is a tool to estimate body fat. Type your height and weight into this BMI calculator.
Women with a BMI of less than 18.5 are considered underweight. The average woman’s height is 5 feet, 4 inches. If you weigh 107 pounds or less at this height, you are considered underweight with a BMI of 18.4. A healthy weight range for that woman would be 108 to 145 pounds.
BMI is just one way to measure healthy weight. Some women have a low, but still healthy weight. Talk to your doctor or nurse about what is a healthy weight for you.
In the United States, 1.6% of women are underweight. Women of all age groups are more likely to be underweight than men are.
Some women are naturally thinner than others. But certain health problems, certain medicines, or other serious problems can lead to chronic (long-term) underweight or sudden weight loss. These include:
Health problems that affect the metabolism, such as overactive thyroid or diabetes
Health problems that affect the digestive system, such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease
Other health problems, such as viral hepatitis, cancer, COPD, or Parkinson’s disease
A lack of appetite due to stress, illness, or substance use
Medicines that may cause nausea or lack of appetite
Eating disorders, such as anorexia
Over-exercising, such as for athletic training
Age. Underweight can especially be a problem for older women who may have loss of appetite, problems chewing, or a health problem.
Genes. Underweight can run in families.
Also, there may be a link between underweight in childhood and developing an eating disorder in adolescence.
Underweight raises your risk for serious health problems. Some women have a low, but still healthy weight. But if you have experienced sudden weight loss or are not eating enough to keep your body working, you may develop serious health problems, including:
Problems with your menstrual cycle. A regular period is a sign of good health. Losing too much weight can cause periods to be less regular or stop completely. This can happen if your body fat drops so low that you stop ovulating, or releasing an egg from an ovary each month. This is especially true if you are losing weight because you are not eating enough or because you are exercising too much, which may be signs of an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa.
Problems getting pregnant. Problems with your menstrual cycle can make it harder to get pregnant, especially if your period stops completely. If you do not get a period, then you are probably not ovulating, or releasing an egg from an ovary each month.
Osteoporosis. Underweight increases your risk of osteoporosis later in life. Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become weak and break easily.
Malnutrition. Malnutrition means your body is not getting enough vitamins and minerals to do what it needs to do. This can cause serious health problems, such as a weaker immune system and anemia. Anemia happens when your blood cannot carry enough oxygen to your body because of a lack of iron. If you have anemia, you may feel dizzy, lightheaded, weak, or tired.
Depression. Studies show that depression is more common in women who are underweight than women who are at a healthy weight.
Women who are underweight may also be more likely to die early than people of normal weight. Women who are underweight earlier in adulthood may also experience menopause sooner than women who stayed a normal weight.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about an eating plan that can help you gain weight in a healthy way. To gain weight in a healthy way, you should focus on getting enough nutrients — calories, vitamins, and minerals — for your body to work correctly. To reach a healthy weight, you should eat foods from all of the food groups with a calorie amount that is healthy for your current weight. Your doctor or nurse can tell you how quickly to gain weight in a safe and healthy way. Gaining weight suddenly, or by eating a lot of sweet or fatty foods, is not healthy.
If you need to gain weight because of an eating disorder, work with your doctor or nurse to gain weight safely and treat the eating disorder. If the eating disorder is not treated, it may come back or continue and cause health problems. Gaining weight too suddenly, with an eating disorder, can cause serious heart problems and other health concerns.
Because many Americans are overweight, there are many resources geared toward losing weight. But some of these resources can also provide guidance for you to gain weight in a healthy way. See the list of resources at the end of this page to learn more.
Maybe. People who are underweight due to an eating disorder should not exercise unless their doctor tells them to. Physical activity is important for your health, muscle strength, balance, and flexibility. Your doctor or nurse can help you develop an exercise plan that is healthy and safe for a person of your current weight.
If you normally do high-intensity aerobic workouts, your doctor or nurse may talk to you about more moderate or less vigorous aerobic, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
If you are worried about your weight, talk to your doctor or nurse.
Your weight can affect your health. Your weight can also make it harder to get pregnant. Talk to your doctor or nurse if you are underweight and have period problems or symptoms of malnutrition, such as extreme tiredness, headaches, or hair loss.
Your doctor or nurse will ask you questions and may do tests to learn more about what is causing your symptoms or weight loss. Your doctor or nurse may suggest making changes in your eating and exercise habits, depending on the cause of your weight loss.
For more information about underweight, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Aiming for a healthy weight — Information from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
BMI Calculator — Information from ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Unintentional weight loss — Information from the National Library of Medicine.
Weight Management — Tools and resources from Nutrition.gov.
Top Questions About Healthy Weight and Women (PDF, 154 KB)
Obesity and Overweight — Information from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Overweight and Obesity — Information from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Your weight — whether too high or too low — can affect your ability to get pregnant. Being overweight or underweight can also cause problems during your pregnancy. Reaching a healthy weight can help you get pregnant and improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Extra weight can make it hard for you to get pregnant. For example, polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is one of the most common reasons for infertility in women and can also cause obesity. Overweight and obesity affect fertility by:
Preventing ovulation. Your ovaries make the female hormone estrogen. Fat cells also make estrogen. As you gain weight, your fat cells grow and release more estrogen. Too much natural estrogen can cause your body to react as if you are taking hormonal birth control with estrogen (like the pill, shot, or vaginal ring) or are already pregnant. This can prevent you from ovulating and having a monthly period.
Preventing fertility treatments from working. Obesity may lower your chances of getting pregnant with certain fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
If you are underweight (your BMI is 18.5 or less), you may have problems getting pregnant. Being underweight can cause your body to stop making estrogen. This can cause irregular menstrual cycles. You may stop ovulating and getting your period. This is especially true if you are losing weight because you are not eating enough or because you are exercising too much, which may be signs of an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa.
In order to get pregnant, you need to ovulate or release an egg from the ovary so it can be fertilized by a man’s sperm. Then your body needs to be able to support a developing baby in the womb.
Yes. Every woman is different, but studies show that for women who have overweight or obesity, losing weight raised their chances of getting pregnant. Losing weight also helped menstrual cycles return to normal.1 Talk to your doctor or nurse about how to lose weight safely.
Women who need to gain weight before getting pregnant should gain weight gradually and talk to their doctor or nurse about how to gain weight safely.
How much weight you should gain during pregnancy depends on your body mass index (BMI) before getting pregnant.
If you have:
Underweight (BMI of less than 18.5), you should gain 28 to 40 pounds
Normal weight (BMI of 18.5 to 24.9), you should gain 25 to 35 pounds
Overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9), you should gain 15 to 25 pounds
Obesity (BMI of 30 or greater), you should gain no more than 11 to 20 pounds
Talk to your doctor, nurse, or midwife about how much weight is safe to gain during pregnancy.
Having overweight or obesity during pregnancy raises your risk for problems during pregnancy. Also, even if you do not have overweight or obesity, gaining more weight than recommended can cause the same problems.
These include:
Gestational hypertension (high blood pressure during pregnancy). If not controlled during pregnancy, gestational hypertension may lead to a more serious condition called preeclampsia.
Gestational diabetes (diabetes that starts during pregnancy). Having overweight or obesity raises the risk for gestational diabetes. Women who have had gestational diabetes also have a higher lifetime risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes can cause low blood sugar in the infant. Unborn babies may also be larger, which could injure the baby or the mother during birth.
Increased risk for C-section
Talk to your doctor, nurse, or midwife about healthy weight gain during pregnancy to help lower your risk for these health problems.
Learn more about pregnancy complications.
Babies born to mothers with overweight or obesity are at higher risk for health problems, including:
Neural tube defects, such as spina bifida
Heart defects
Low blood sugar and larger body size, if the mother has gestational diabetes
Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol
Babies born to mothers who are underweight (women with BMIs lower than 18.5) are at higher risk for health problems, including:
Premature birth (also called preterm birth), or childbirth before 37 weeks of pregnancy
Low birth weight (smaller than 5 1/2 pounds). These infants are at risk for health and development problems as they get older.
For more information about weight, fertility, and pregnancy, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Managing your weight gain during pregnancy — Information from the National Library of Medicine.
Obesity and Pregnancy (link is external) — Brochure from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
What is the best way for women to lose weight? Every woman is different, but recent research suggests that women may lose weight differently than men.
Most women will need to eat and drink fewer calories and get the right amount of healthy foods to lose weight. Increasing exercise or physical activity may help with weight loss, but choosing healthy foods (lean protein, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits) is what works best for many people to achieve a healthy weight.1 Combining healthy eating with increased physical activity is best. Talk to your doctor or nurse before starting any weight-loss program. He or she can work with you to find the best way for you to lose weight.
Your environment and other parts of your life may make weight loss more difficult. You may be able to take other steps, such as talking to your doctor about any medicines you take that may lead to weight gain, getting more sleep, or dealing with stress, that can also help you lose weight.
Everyone is different. How quickly you burn calories when you are not physically active can be very different from other people based on your specific genes, biology, and past. While scientists know that there are 3,500 calories in one pound, simply eating 500 fewer calories every day for a week (or 3,500 fewer calories in a week) does not always end in losing exactly one pound.
If you have overweight or obesity, counting calories may help you lose weight. Weight loss also happens when you focus on eating healthy foods. Getting calories mostly from lean protein, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables may help you lose weight safely.
No diet for an adult woman should be less than 800 calories per day. If you decide to limit the amount of calories you get each day to lose weight, talk to your doctor or nurse first. Your doctor or nurse can help you figure out a healthy and safe amount of calories for your body while trying to lose weight.
The exact calorie number to aim for depends on your age, your height and weight, and how active you are. Find out how many calories you need with the MyPlate Checklist Calculator.
Yes and no. Men often lose weight more quickly than women. But, over time, weight loss usually evens out between women and men.
Men may lose weight more quickly because men usually have more muscle, while women may have more fat. Because muscle burns more calories than fat, men may be able to burn more calories at rest than women.
Because men are larger than women on average and have more muscle to support, men can usually eat more calories while still losing weight, compared to women. Portion control may be especially important for women. In one study, women who ate smaller portions of food (and less food overall) had lower BMIs than women who limited or avoided a certain type of food. This approach seems to work better for women than men.
The menstrual cycle itself doesn’t seem to affect weight gain or loss. But having a period may affect your weight in other ways. Many women get premenstrual syndrome (PMS). PMS can cause you to crave and eat more sweet or salty foods than normal. Those extra calories can lead to weight gain. And salt makes the body hold on to more water, which raises body weight (but not fat).
Also, while your menstrual cycle may not affect weight gain or loss, losing or gaining weight can affect your menstrual cycle. Women who lose too much weight or lose weight too quickly may stop having a period, or have irregular periods. Women who have obesity may also have irregular periods. A regular period is a sign of good health. Reaching a healthy weight can help women who have irregular periods to have cycles that are more regular. Learn more in our Menstrual Cycle section.
Staying active and eating healthy foods can help you stay on track with your weight-loss goals.
Women usually need fewer calories than men, especially as they age. That's because women naturally have less muscle, more body fat, and are usually smaller than men. On average, adult women need between 1,600 and 2,400 calories a day. As you age, you need to take in fewer calories to maintain the same weight. You can also keep your weight healthy by increasing how much physical activity you get.
Find out how many calories you need based on your age and level of activity. You can also talk to your doctor or nurse about ways to eat healthy and get enough physical activity.
Maybe. Your doctor or nurse may recommend weight-loss medicine if:
You have obesity (BMI of 30 or more)
OR
You have overweight (BMI of 27 or more) and you have health problems related to extra weight, such as:
High blood pressure
High blood cholesterol
Diabetes
AND
You have been counting calories and getting plenty of physical activity for at least 6 months, but you are losing less than a pound a week on average
The Food and Drug Administration approved several weight-loss medicines for the treatment of obesity. Most are not recommended for women who could get pregnant, because the medicines could cause serious birth defects in a baby.
Maybe, but you should always talk to your doctor or nurse before taking any herbal or dietary supplement. Find the main ingredient in your supplement on this fact sheet to see if it is safe and works.
There is no guarantee that “herbal” or “natural” weight-loss products are safe for everyone. The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate supplements in the same way it regulates medicines. Supplements often have side effects and can interfere with medicine you are taking. Learn more about dietary supplements.
Weight-loss surgeries — also called bariatric surgeries — can help treat obesity. A doctor may suggest surgical treatment for weight loss if you:
Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher
Have a BMI of 35 or higher and weight-related health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes
Bariatric surgery is not a “quick fix.” It is major surgery. Learn more about weight-loss surgery.
Liposuction is not a treatment for obesity. In this surgery, fat is removed from under the skin. Liposuction can be used to reshape parts of your body. But if you gain weight following the surgery, fat may return to the places where you had surgery or develop in other places. Learn more about liposuction.
It’s great that you are active and taking steps to improve your health! Sometimes your body mass index (BMI) may show that you are overweight even though you are fit. And some people may argue that how physically active you are is more important than how much extra weight you are carrying.
But this is only partly true. Being physically active can reduce your heart disease risk even if you do not lose weight. But your risk may be higher than that of someone who exercises and has a healthy weight. In other words, being active does not cancel out the dangers of having overweight.
Talk to your doctor or nurse to find out what a healthy weight is for you.
It can be tempting to follow a “crash” diet and drop many pounds right away. But women who lose weight gradually are more likely to keep it off. Talk to your doctor or nurse about your goals. Your doctor or nurse can help you develop a healthy eating and physical activity plan.
After losing weight for about six months at the rate of up to 1 pound per week, most people hit a plateau, or a weight that doesn’t continue to go down. Once you lose weight, your resting metabolism (how many calories you burn at rest) goes down. At a lower weight, your body needs fewer calories to sustain itself.
Many people can lose about 10% of their original body weight in about six months. If you want to continue losing weight, you may need to adjust the amount of calories you eat and drink every day and your level of physical activity.
However, if you are eating healthy foods and getting regular physical activity but are still struggling with weight, you may want to talk to a doctor who specializes in obesity or weight management (link is external). It can also be challenging to keep off weight that you have lost.
For more information about weight loss, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Aiming for a Healthy Weight — Information from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Weight Management — Tools and resources from Nutrition.gov.
Losing weight is difficult. Many women struggle to lose a few pounds and then put the weight back on again. There is no quick fix for losing weight. The key is to focus on small, healthy changes that you can stick with for the rest of your life. Losing weight is part of living a healthier lifestyle. Try some of these tips to help give you the best chance of success.
Pick a good time to change. Some times in life are more stressful than others. If you have a big change coming up, such as moving, getting married or divorced, graduating, or taking a new job, it may not be a good time to begin losing weight.
Set realistic goals that can be measured. Do not expect to lose 30 pounds in the first month. Set a goal of 1 pound a week and track your progress. (Talk to your doctor or nurse to find out how much weight is safe for you to lose.) Reward yourself with a fun activity (but not an unhealthy treat) when you meet each goal!
Work on other health problems first. For example, doctors recommend that if you are severely depressed, you should get treatment for depression before you try to lose weight. If you have sleep apnea, talk to a doctor or nurse about losing weight to help treat sleep apnea or about treating the sleep apnea first. Not sleeping enough, or having bad sleep quality, can contribute to weight gain. Talk to your doctor or nurse about the best time to work on weight loss, taking into consideration any other health problems you might have.
Plan your meals ahead of time. Most people who eat healthy plan most of their meals ahead of time so that they don’t binge as much on unhealthy food. Figure out which meals you’ll be eating at home for the week ahead. Make a grocery store list for those meals and snacks. Stick to your list when you go shopping.
Track your food and fitness. There are many free tools that can teach you what to do and track your progress. For example, you can find a personalized healthy eating plan using the MyPlate Checklist Calculator. You also can get weight-loss advice and track your weight over time. In one study, women who used a food journal lost an average of 6 pounds more than women who did not track their eating.1
Make just one change at a time. It can be difficult to change everything you eat all at once. Pick one small healthy eating goal and work on that until you can reach that goal most of the time — or until you figure out why that goal will not work for you. Then pick another healthy eating goal.
Don’t cut out all treats. It’s tempting to tell yourself that you’ll stop eating all unhealthy foods (like cookies, cake, chips, soda, and French fries) in order to lose weight. This strategy may be easy at first, but it can be difficult to continue over time. You might end up binging on unhealthy foods because you feel deprived. Choose your treats ahead of time, cut back on the number of times you have unhealthy food, and keep the portion size small.
Think about what you’re eating and why. Notice how you feel each time you eat something. Do you find yourself eating to relieve stress, boredom, or anxiety? Is there a healthier option that you can substitute?
Choose smaller portions when eating out. Restaurant foods are often high in salt, fat, and calories. Order the small or lower-calorie option, share a meal, or take home part of the meal. Calorie information may be available on menus, in a pamphlet, on food wrappers, or online.
Drink water first. Sometimes what we think is hunger is actually thirst. Try drinking water before snacking to see if that helps you put off eating until it’s time for a meal. Or maybe you will eat less if you’ve filled up on some water first.
Treats are OK every once in a while. It can be difficult to stick with a healthy eating plan if you feel deprived all of the time. Eat healthy 90% of the time, but have a less healthy treat sometimes so you don’t feel like you’re missing out.
Think about your drink. Don’t forget to add in the calories you drink each day. Juices, coffees with syrup or creamer, and flavored water all add calories. Even some diet sodas can have a small number of calories that are not listed on the Nutrition Facts label. Learn more about the calories in drinks at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Rethink Your Drink website.
Don’t forget about calories from alcohol. It can be difficult to know exactly how many calories are in a glass of wine or a mixed drink. If you drink alcohol and want to lose weight, cutting down on the number of drinks you have each week is one of the easiest ways to lose weight, since you don’t get any essential vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients from alcohol.
Learn how to cook. You don’t have to be a top chef like on TV, but usually people who eat healthy know how to cook a few simple meals for themselves or their families. If you know how to cook a few easy dishes, you’ll be less likely to order unhealthy takeout or eat unhealthy snacks.
Prepare and serve smaller portions when you eat at home. It is natural to eat everything on your plate. Solve this problem by putting less on the plate to start. You can also try using a smaller plate. Portion control will help you lose weight over time.
Make your hands busy. Is there something else you can do if you are not truly hungry? Try something that will keep your hands busy and your mind off food, like knitting, reading a book, playing with your kids, or doing chores that are not in the kitchen.
Limit screen time. Time spent in front of the screen, especially the TV, is linked to weight gain. Make an effort to eat at the table, and turn off the TV, tablet, or phone. When you’re distracted, you may eat more than you realize, making it tough to lose weight.
Lift some weights. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Aim for two or three strength-training sessions a week. Allow a day or so in between workouts for your body to rest.
Walk. Most women need about 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, like cycling or brisk walking, most days in order to be healthy. Getting enough physical activity not only helps you maintain or lose weight, it lowers your risk for many diseases and boosts your mood.2 To lose weight by exercising and without cutting calories, you will need about an hour or more of moderate physical activity on most days.2
Deal with stress. Stress can make weight gain more likely. Find ways to unplug and lower stress that work for you. Some options include meditation, yoga, reading, religious worship, spending quality time with friends and family, learning a new healthy recipe, trying out a new physical activity like bicycling or an exercise class, or volunteering in your community.
Separate your self-worth from your weight. Weight, for women, is often a sensitive issue that many have been dealing with for their entire lives. Weight is important, but it is just one indicator of your health. It helps to be comfortable with who you are regardless of your weight. Having overweight or obesity does not make you a bad or weak person. Successfully losing weight is often a matter of trying different strategies until you find out what works for you. It often requires dedication and perseverance, but it’s OK if it doesn’t work out at first.
Keep trying. One of the keys to weight loss is to keep trying. If a certain strategy doesn’t work for you, that doesn’t mean you are a failure. As long as you learn something from that particular experience, it can give you valuable insight into what might work better for you in the future.
Accept a temporary discomfort. Losing weight is not always fun or easy. Sometimes it can be emotionally difficult to face issues that contribute to unhealthy eating. Sometimes you might feel hungry, or left out if friends or family are indulging. Know that feeling uncomfortable will pass and does not last forever.
Find inspiration. Sometimes women find it easier to make healthy changes for someone else — to benefit their unborn child or to get ready for a family milestone like a wedding or reunion. Whether your inspiration is the image of yourself wearing a smaller dress size or lowering your blood pressure so that you don’t need medicine anymore, keep your inspiration in mind when you’re tempted to eat unhealthy foods or skip your exercise routine.
Find new rewards. We all enjoy eating and have rewarded ourselves with ice cream or cake in the past. If you’re trying to lose weight, it can be difficult to substitute other rewards. Figure out ahead of time what makes you feel good — taking a long bath, spending time with loved ones, enjoying a hobby. Then, when you have something to celebrate or want to indulge, you’ll be prepared with healthy and rewarding activities.
Focus on sleep. Sleep plays an important role in weight management. Studies show that not getting quality sleep or getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep at night can lead to weight gain. If you find that you struggle with sleep, you may need to talk to your doctor or nurse. Try not to use sleep medicines often. Most sleep medicines can lead to weight gain. Learn more about sleep and sleep medicines on our Insomnia page.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about the medicines you take. Many prescription medicines women take can lead to weight gain. Medicines that are prescribed for depression, sleep problems, high blood pressure, and diabetes can cause weight gain. Your doctor or nurse might be able to prescribe a different medicine that does not lead to extra weight.
Try something different. If you tried losing weight on your own in the past and it didn’t work, try joining a weight-loss group. If your partner isn’t willing to eat healthy along with you, talk about how they might support you in the future. Figure out some of the reasons why you weren’t able to lose weight before and do it differently next time. If you are still challenged, consider seeing a doctor who specializes in weight management (link is external)
Learn more about healthy weight from the Office on Women's Health and other websites.
Top Questions About Healthy Weight and Women (PDF, 154 KB)
The Office on Women's Health is grateful for the medical review in 2018 by:
Kathryn McMurry, M.S., Nutrition Coordinator, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Fatima Cody-Stanford, M.D., M.P.H., M.P.A., Obesity Medicine & Nutrition, Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center, Harvard Medical School
Page last updated: March 02, 2018.
Source: Office on Women’s Health, HHS