celebrate the beauty of youth

Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Want to feel better, look better, and have more energy? Being healthy and active is the best place to start.

Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better is a program for Black women to help you maintain a healthy weight by being active and eating healthier foods. You can do it!

Why Move More and Eat Better?

Being active and making smart food choices is good for your health. But that’s not the only reason to move more and eat better.

You can:

have more energy
fit into hip, trendy clothes
tone your body (without losing your curves!)
reduce stress, boredom, or the blues
feel good about yourself.

Tips on Moving More

Physical activity can be fun!
Do things you enjoy like:

dancing
roller skating
brisk walking
playing sports
bicycling.

If you can, be active with a friend or a group—that way, you can cheer each other on, have company while you exercise, and feel safer when you're outdoors. Find a local school track where you can walk or run, go for a stroll in a local park, or join a recreation center near your home or work.

Don’t have time to exercise? It’s easy to move more by making these small changes in your daily routine:

Get off the bus or subway one stop early and walk the rest of the way.
Get up and stretch during TV commercials.
Walk around the house while you talk on a cordless or cell phone.

Look Good as You Get Fit

Illustration of a young woman wearing a headwrap If you don’t exercise because it will ruin your hairstyle, try:

a natural hairstyle that holds up to frequent shampoos
a short haircut that’s easy to wash and wear
braids, twists, or locks that stay in place while you work out
a style that you can pull back with a headband or “scrunchies.”
TIP: Day-to-day activities can cause salt buildup in your hair. To remove salt, shampoo with a mild, pH-balanced product at least once a week.

Tips on Eating Better

It's hard to eat right when you don't feel like cooking or there's a fast-food place on every corner. Here are some simple things you can do to eat better:

Start the day with breakfast.
Order a hamburger without sauce or fries, or a grilled chicken sandwich (not fried).
Choose low-fat or nonfat milk instead of whole milk or a regular milkshake.
Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Go easy on mayonnaise, creamy sauces, and added butter.
Don’t let soda or other sweets crowd out healthy foods.
Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.
TIP: Many food labels say “low-fat,” “reduced fat,” or “light.” That doesn’t always mean the food is low in calories. Sometimes nonfat or low-fat muffins or desserts have added sugar. Remember, calories do count!

Illustration showing appropriate relative servings of meat and vegetables Many people think that bigger is better. We're so used to super-size servings that it's easy to eat more than our bodies need. Eating smaller portions will help you cut down on calories and fat (and save money!).

Even take-out and high-fat foods can be part of a balanced diet, if you don't eat them every day and don't eat too much of them. Here are sensible serving sizes for some favorite foods:

French fries: 1 small serving (equal to a child’s order)
Shrimp fried rice:1 cup
Cheese pizza: 2 small slices or 1 large slice
TIP: Do you eat in front of the TV out of habit? Do you eat when you’re bored, nervous, or sad? Be aware of when, where, and why you eat, and try to eat balanced meals throughout the day. Instead of reaching for that cookie, read a book or call a friend.

Out 'n About

You can be part of the scene and still make healthy food choices. Try these when you're out 'n about:

Order vegetable toppings on pizza, instead of salty high-fat meats like pepperoni or sausage.
Share popcorn (and skip the added butter) at the movies instead of getting your own bag—you'll save money too!
Choose bottled water or diet soda instead of regular soda.
Munch on pretzels, vegetables, or unbuttered popcorn at parties instead of fried chips or fatty dips.
If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to one drink—alcohol has lots of calories but little nutritional value.

Illustration of three women walking together

You Can Do It!

Set doable goals. Move at your own pace. Reward your successes. Allow for setbacks. Let your family and friends help you. And keep trying—you can do it!

Weight-control Information Network

1 Win Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
Phone: (202) 828-1025
FAX: (202) 828-1028
Email: win@info.niddk.nih.gov
Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627

The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a national service of the

of the National Institutes of Health, which is the Federal Government’s lead agency responsible for biomedical research on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress (Public Law 103-43), WIN provides the general public, health professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date, science-based health information on weight control, obesity, physical activity, and related nutritional disorders.

NIH Publication No. 01-4903
March 2001