Resources

Weight-control Information Network Publications

Changing Your Habits: Steps to Better Health
This fact sheet explains the stages of change and how to work through each stage one step at a time. It focuses on overcoming common barriers to making healthy changes and setting goals to eat healthier and be more physically active. Available from WIN, http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/changing-habits.htm. NIH Publication No. 08-6444. 2008.

Tips to Help You Get Active
This booklet provides ideas and tips for becoming physically active. It focuses on overcoming common barriers and setting goals. Available from WIN, http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/tips.htm. NIH Publication No. 06-5578. 2009.

Walking . . . A Step in the Right Direction
This pamphlet explains how to start a walking program, presents a sample program, and shows stretches for warming up and cooling down. Available in English and Spanish from WIN, http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/walking.htm. NIH Publication No. 07-4155. 2007

 

Fitness-related Publications

Active Living Every Day: 20 Weeks to Lifelong Vitality
Steven N. Blair, Andrea L. Dunn, Bess H. Marcus, Ruth Ann Carpenter, and Peter Jaret. Human Kinetics, 2001. This book offers a step-by-step plan for getting and staying active. The information, suggested activities, and self-help tools in each chapter were successfully tested with people who followed the plan and learned to make activity a part of their daily lives. The 20 chapters correspond to the 20 weeks of the program, but readers are encouraged to go at their own pace. Available from http://www.humankinetics.com  or your local or online bookstore.


Great Shape: The First Fitness Guide for Large Women
Pat Lyons and Debby Burgard. iUniverse, 2000. This book urges women to be physically active for fun, fitness, and positive body image instead of for weight loss. The authors describe a healthy lifestyle program including walking, swimming, dancing, martial arts, bicycling, and more. Available from http://www.iuniverse.com  or your local or online bookstore.


Real Fitness for Real Women: A Unique Workout Program for the Plus-Size Woman
Rochelle Rice. Warner Books, 2001. This book describes a 6-week introductory fitness program that includes warm-ups, aerobics, strength training and stretching techniques, and meditation. Photos of plus-size women demonstrate the exercises. The book also addresses getting motivated, creating support, evaluating current abilities, and increasing self-acceptance. Available from http://www.rochellerice.com  or your local or online bookstore.

 

Other Publications and Resources

Plus Size Yellow Pages
Over 3,000 online resources for fitness clothes up to 6X, casual wear up to 10X, bikes, bike seats, kayaks, sports bras, supportive tights/leggings, supportive fitness shoes, and much more. http://www.plussizeyellowpages.com .

 

Videos 

Chair Dancing

Jodi Stolove. This no-impact video series is designed to improve muscle tone, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance without putting stress on your knees, back, hips, or feet. Available from Chair Dancing International, Inc., 2658 Del Mar Heights Road, Del Mar, CA 92014; 1-800-551-4386; or http://www.chairdancing.com .


Yoga for Round Bodies, Volumes 1 and 2
Linda DeMarco and Genia Pauli Haddon. These videos offer a fitness system based on Kripalu yoga to promote strength, flexibility, stress relief, and cardiovascular health. Round-bodied instructors tailor classic yoga postures to large people at both beginner and intermediate levels in each video. Available from Plus Publications, P.O. Box 265-W,
Scotland, CT 06264; 1-800-436-9642; or online retailers.

 

Organizations and Programs

YMCA and YWCA
The YMCA and YWCA offer physical fitness and health awareness programs in many locations throughout the United States. Contact YMCA of the U.S.A., 101 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606; 1-800-872-9622; or http://www.ymca.net . Contact YWCA of the U.S.A., 1015 18th Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036; 202–467–0801; or http://www.ywca.org .


Council on Size and Weight Discrimination, Inc.
The Council on Size and Weight Discrimination, Inc. (CSWD) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve health care and access to services for large people through educational programs, media monitoring, and medical conference attendance. Contact CSWD at P.O. Box 305, Mount Marion, NY 12456; 845–679–1209; http://www.cswd.org .


National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance
The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to end discrimination based on body size and to improve the quality of life for large people. It offers a variety of publications and videos on size acceptance, self-esteem, and health and fitness. Contact NAAFA at: P.O. Box 22510, Oakland, CA 94609; 916–558–6880; or http://www.naafa.org .

 

Websites

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. October 2008. Available at http://www.health.gov/PAGuidelines.


U.S. Department of Agriculture
ChooseMyPlate. More information and interactive tools on healthy eating and physical activity are available at http://www.choosemyplate.gov.

Body Positive®
This site addresses issues ranging from self-esteem to fitness to finding respectful health care providers. It includes resources and links to related sites. http://www.bodypositive.com .


Healthy Living with Bliss™
This site includes information on walking, swimming, aerobics, stretching, and other fitness activities for large and very large people. A resource section includes fitness wear, books, exercise equipment, classes, and information on where to buy fitness videos for large people. There is an online workbook, e-newsletter, and a chat with plus-size personal fitness trainer Kelly Bliss. http://www.kellybliss.com .


MyStart! Online
MyStart! Online is a personalized, Internet-based program of the American Heart Association designed to help individuals and companies make positive lifestyle changes through walking and eating better. It features free online tools to help you track your daily dietary intake and physical activity, monitor your progress, create personal walking maps, and access health information links and resources. This website also includes a section specifically for companies on how to form a "Start! Worksite Wellness Walking Program." http://startwalkingnow.org/mystart_tracker.jsp .

Mayo Clinic Fitness Center
This website contains many different articles about fitness. It offers a set of articles that are all about walking for fitness and includes a shoe-buying guide and a pedometer guide. It also contains slide shows for strength training and stretching exercises. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/SM99999 .

 

Activity Pledge

Pledging to be active may help you achieve your physical activity goals.

Download and print this pledge from the web and hang it on your refrigerator, calendar, or bulletin board. Using the pledge can help you stay motivated and focus on your activity goals for the week. Also, feel free to download and photocopy the pledge and use it to continue to make activity goals for weeks 5 through 8 and beyond.

My Pledge to Be Active

I, _____________________________, will be physically active for me, so that I may live longer and feel better!
I will work through my barriers to being active!
I will set activity goals and rewards, get support, and track my progress!
I will build up to being more active, and I will choose activities I like to do!

Weekly Activity Goals

Use the goal-setting card below to help you set weekly activity goals.

My Weekly Activity Goals

Week 1 Goals

I commit to begin ________________________ (type of activity) for _____________________ minutes on:

• ❑ Monday
• ❑ Tuesday
• ❑ Wednesday
• ❑ Thursday
• ❑ Friday
• ❑ Saturday
• ❑ Sunday

Week 2 Goals

I commit to begin ________________________ (type of activity) for _____________________ minutes on:

• ❑ Monday
• ❑ Tuesday
• ❑ Wednesday
• ❑ Thursday
• ❑ Friday
• ❑ Saturday
• ❑ Sunday

Week 3 Goals

I commit to begin ________________________ (type of activity) for _____________________ minutes on:

• ❑ Monday
• ❑ Tuesday
• ❑ Wednesday
• ❑ Thursday
• ❑ Friday
• ❑ Saturday
• ❑ Sunday

Week 4 and Beyond

I commit to begin ________________________ (type of activity) for _____________________ minutes on:

• ❑ Monday
• ❑ Tuesday
• ❑ Wednesday
• ❑ Thursday
• ❑ Friday
• ❑ Saturday
• ❑ Sunday

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Activity Journal

Keeping an activity journal is a useful tool to help you stay motivated, stay on track, and reach your goals. It may be helpful to set a short-term goal, a long-term goal, and rewards for meeting those goals.

You can print out this journal page to keep track of your efforts and improvements. (Journal)