If you eat 100 more calories a day than you burn, you'll gain about one pound in a month. That's about 10 pounds in a year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bottom line is that to lose weight, it's important to reduce calories and increase physical activity. Many people are surprised to learn that you need to burn off 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose a single pound of fat.

John Evans, 45, was tired. He was tired of eating poorly, tired of being overweight and just plain tired of being tired. He finally decided to make some lifestyle changes, including becoming more active. He knew that if he could find one or two activities he really enjoyed, he'd have a better chance of success. John remembered fondly his fit and healthy college days, when his bike was his primary mode of transportation. Acting on that thought, he headed out to see how bikes had changed over the past 25 years. With help from the bike shop staff, John chose one that seemed just right. He even joined a Saturday morning biking group and soon became an expert on bike trails throughout the region. Before long, John was hooked and now rides nearly every day — sometimes alone, and sometimes with his new biking group buddies. Over the past 18 months, John's blood pressure and cholesterol readings have dropped, his energy level has increased dramatically, and he has lost 25 pounds.]

John's story is a perfect example of how the dietary guidelines should be applied. Released by the U.S. Health and Human Services and Agriculture Departments, the guidelines feature science-based advice to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. But there has been some confusion about the advice.

Featured sound bites were alarming: "60 minutes of exercise most days of the week" and "a dozen daily servings of fruits and vegetables." The media claimed that the guidelines would overwhelm and discourage the American public. To help you sort fact from fiction, here is a summary of some of the main points of the guidelines.

• Make smart choices from every food group. Losing weight is not just a matter of counting calories. It's also a matter of good nutrition. The best option for healthy weight reduction comes from a balanced, calorie-controlled diet that includes foods from all food groups. So, instead of having that 417-calorie ice cream cone, try a tasty half-cup of low-fat fruit yogurt to give your body 100 calories it really needs. Add a bonus topping of your favorite fresh fruit.
• Find a balance between food and physical activity. Did you stop by your friendly neighborhood coffee shop for a latte (260 calories) and a muffin (300 calories) this morning? If those relatively empty calories put you over the top of your daily allowance, you'll have to take a brisk walk at about 4 mph for nearly two hours to burn it all off. This is why it's so important to make healthy food choices all day long to avoid the "weight creep" that hits most of us as we age.

A Healthy Eating Plan = Smart Choices from Every Food Group

• Eat and drink an interesting variety of nutrient-rich foods and beverages within the basic food groups while limiting the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol (see sidebar, next page), added sugars, salt and alcohol.
• Plan ahead for when you eat out or are on the go:
  • Make a shopping list that includes healthy foods so you have them on hand for meals and snacks throughout the week.
  • For a quick lunch, have a sandwich on whole-grain bread and choose low-fat or fat-free milk, water, or other drinks without added sugars.
  • In a restaurant, order steamed, grilled or broiled dishes over those that are fried or sautéed.
  • On a long car ride or shopping trip, pack some fresh fruit, cut veggies, string cheese sticks, or a handful of unsalted nuts to help avoid impulsive, less healthful snack choices.

Find Your Food and Physical Activity Balance

• To maintain body weight in a healthy range, balance calories from foods and beverages with calories used.
• To prevent gradual weight gain over time, make small decreases in food and beverage calories and increase physical activity.
• Get regular physical activity and reduce sedentary activities to promote health, psychological well-being, and a healthy body weight.
  • To reduce the risk of chronic disease, get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. (For most people, greater health benefits can be gained by taking part in more vigorous physical activity for longer periods.)
  • To help manage weight and prevent gradual weight gain, fit about 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity into most days of the week while not exceeding calorie needs.
  • To sustain weight loss in adulthood, participate in at least 60 to 90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity while not exceeding calorie requirements. (If you have been inactive or have other health concerns, talk to your doctor before participating in this level of activity.)
    Children and teens should be physically active for 60 minutes almost every day.
• Achieve total physical fitness by including cardiovascular conditioning, stretching exercises for flexibility, and resistance exercises or calisthenics for muscle strength and endurance.

Watch for Fats

• Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol, and keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.
• Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
• When selecting and preparing meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products, make choices that are lean, low fat, or fat free.
• Limit intake of fats and oils high in saturated and/or trans fatty acids, and choose products low in such fats and oils.

Carbohydrates Are Part of a Healthy Diet

• Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners, such as amounts suggested by the USDA Food Guide or the Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension (DASH) Eating Plan. (See website links below.)

Sodium and Potassium Recommendations

• Keep sodium to less than 2,300 mg (approximately 1 teaspoon of salt) per day.
• Select potassium-rich foods, which can counteract some of sodium's effects on blood pressure.

Eating a healthy balance of nutritious foods remains central to the guidelines, but balancing nutrients is not enough. Total calories also count, especially as more Americans are gaining weight. Because two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese and more than half get too little physical activity, the dietary guidelines place a stronger emphasis on calorie control and physical activity.

Note: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 contains additional recommendations for specific populations. The full document is available at www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines. This article offers only a summary of the guidelines.

As part of your UPS-sponsored health plan benefits, UPSer's and their spouses covered by the medical benefits plan can take a health assessment that offers an in-depth assessment of your lifestyle and factors that impact your health status. This will give you an opportunity to see your health in a big picture. Doing so can help you prioritize the kinds of health changes you may need to consider, and which health changes you may be ready and confident to make.

Click here for more information on the Health Assessment.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; U.S. Department of Agriculture