• Learn, for your age/gender/body type, the ideal number of calories per day that you should be consuming
• Learn about body mass index (BMI)
• Learn about the Plate Method
• Learn more about using the Nutrition Facts Label on prepared and packaged foods
• Learn your ideal weight
• Learn your ideal waist measurement
• Together, brainstorm ways that stress and emotions effect your eating

• Goal & Action Planning Worksheet
• Finding Your Way to a Healthier You
• Fat and Calorie Counter Guide
• What's In the Food You Eat?
• How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
• Tips for Using the Food Label
• Weight & Waist Measurement: Tools for Adults
• Plate Method

• Figure the difference between the number of calories eaten and recommended caloric intake for a 24 hour period
• Together, brainstorm a perfect day's worth of food that meets ideal calorie intake
• Take notice of the calorie content of serving sizes in prepared/packaged foods
• Learn how to recognize when eating for healthy reasons and when eating as a response to stress
• Focus on the Plate Method's recommendation for the number of servings of fruits and vegetables to eat each day
• For 2 to 3 days in the coming week, keep a log of the amounts and kinds of fruits and vegetables that you eat. Identify those that are fresh or raw.
• Learn to calculate your BMI. Learn your ideal BMI. Learn about the health risks of having too high a BMI.
• Brainstorm all of the things that can be done to lower a BMI that is too high

Supporting Resources

• Discuss "you are what you eat" and what it means for the individual
• Discuss the individual's actual BMI and target BMI
• Discuss the role of physical activity in a healthy lifestyle
• Talk about a time in the individual's life when BMI was much less. How did that feel compared to know?
• Brainstorm how much better it would feel to carry around less fat. Talk about the impact of reducing BMI on various aspects of one's quality of life.
• Talk about what the individual would be willing to give up to reduce BMI by one point
• On one day, make a point of eating less salt (eliminate table salt, choose low sodium foods). How did that feel? Was there a weight or waist measurement change?
• Together, brainstorm ways to spice up foods without salt. Try one of the ideas. How did it feel?

Supporting Resources

• For 24 hours, keep a log of all foods and amounts eaten
• Get a pedometer with a calories burned tracking feature. Track the number of steps taken in a 24 hour period (daily step goal is 10,000).
• Figure the calorie content of foods eaten in a 24 hour period using a calorie guide or have health coach assistance
• Determine calories burned each day by the amount of activity
• Try replacing full fat dairy foods (milk, cheese, yogurt) with non-fat or low-fat alternatives
• During the week, replace regular beer with low calorie beer or sparking water
• Replace coffee cream/half and half with low-fat or non-fat milk
• Prepare a healthy shopping list and stick to it the next time at the grocery store
  

Supporting Resources