Ask The EN Experts: Safe Weekly Weight Loss? Blood Pressure Info
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what we, as humans, really need in order to do great things in our lives. Obviously “great things” has different meanings for all of us. Perhaps your “great thing” is to run a marathon and for someone else it is completing the weekly crossword before the next one is published. As I think about the big goals I am attempting in my life (too many to list here), there is one key denominator in helping me towards each goal—a sense of accountability. Whether my attempts at improvement are related to work, finances, family, or health, it is essential for me to have built-in accountability—either with a partner to hold me firm to my plans and intentions, or a way to brainstorm and trouble-shoot when I run into issues, it is this ability to converse about my endeavors that may make or break my efforts. When you are working on self-improvement or working toward “great things,” look for ways to build in accountability and see if it can make a difference for you.
—Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, EN Editor
Q: If working on weight loss, how many pounds per week should I try to lose?
A: Although there are (seemingly) thousands of diet programs promising weight losses of 10+ pounds per week, these results are neither healthy, nor realistic, nor likely to last. As boring as it may be to read, the scientific evidence supports that successful weight loss is achieved by a healthy and balanced calorie (or energy) controlled diet paired with an increase in physical activity. Yawn…but it’s true. And the scientific evidence also drives home that a slow and steady weight loss path is MUCH more likely to be long-term than a plan that has you dropping pounds (and water weight) at a higher clip. In the long-run, it’s best to shoot for losing 1 to 2 pounds per week (and think of it as potentially achieved by burning 500 to 1000 calories more than consumed each day through a combination of dietary changes and increased physical activity). Try to resist the temptation to lose more quickly and remember … slow and steady wins the (weight management) race.
—Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN
Q: What is the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure?
A: Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. It is measured by two numbers called systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure and is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). For example, healthy blood pressure is measured as levels below 120 mm Hg systolic blood pressure over 80 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure (120 mm Hg/80 mm Hg).
Systolic blood pressure is a measure of how much pressure your heart is exerting against your artery walls when your heart is beating. Diastolic blood pressure is how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when the heart is resting between beats. Both numbers are important in determining your overall blood pressure and measure how hard your heart has to work to circulate blood.
Some people remember the acronym S.D. (for South Dakota) to remind them that “s” comes first for systolic, and “d” comes second for diastolic when measuring blood pressure.
—Tamara Schryver, PhD, RD
(adapted from www.universityhealthnews.com)
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