People with mobility limitations need to lower their calorie intake or increase their exercise to burn calories to maintain a healthy weight, say dietitians at Shepherd Center, a nationally ranked rehabilitation hospital for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain.

2. Weight Management
If your mobility has changed, you will use fewer calories than
you did previously, so it is important to adjust your intake. To
lose 1 pound of weight per week, you will need to burn (with
exercise) 3,500 more calories or take in 3,500 fewer calories
per week. This is about 500 calories per day. Losing more than
1 pound per week is not normal and often due to a change in
fluid balance, not a true weight loss or gain.

3. 1. Eat three meals a day.
Eat three meals per day and
maybe a snack or two to
decrease the amount you eat at
one time. Eating smaller meals
more often will increase your
metabolism and prevent storing
extra calories as fat.

4. 2. Follow the MyPlate method.
 Use the MyPlate method, shown at
left, to help you consume the proper
amount of the five food groups.
 Make half your plate fruits and
vegetables and the other half lean
proteins and whole grains.
 Try to be mindful when you eat and
pay attention to hunger and fullness
so you don’t overeat.

5. 3. Get physical activity.
Try to incorporate at
least 30 minutes per
day of physical activity.
(If you are in
rehabilitation therapy,
this isn’t a problem.)

6. 4. Drink water.
Drink 1 cup or less per day of juice
or other sugared beverages such
as regular sodas, Gatorade, sweet
tea and punch. Water is the best
beverage, but other options are
sugar-free beverages such as
Crystal Light, unsweetened tea
and diet sodas.

7. 5. Limits sweets.
Try to limit cake,
cobbler, candy, pies and
cookies to no more than
two servings per week.

8. 6. Drink skim milk.
Change milk to skim
milk or at least reduced
fat (2%). No one needs
to drink the high-fat
content of whole milk.

9. 7. Avoid fried foods.
 Say No To Fried Foods!
This includes French fries,
Tater Tots, chips and fried
meats, such as chicken
tenders.
 Instead, eat baked chips
and meats that are baked,
broiled, boiled, stewed or
grilled.

10. 8. Use low-fat salad dressing.
 Use low-fat salad dressings such as a
light vinaigrette. A two-tablespoon
serving of blue cheese, ranch or
Caesar dressing contains 200
calories and more than 20 grams of
fat.
 Ask for light mayonnaise as it has 30
calories per to-go packet instead of
the 90 calories in regular mayo
packets.

11. 9. Eat fruits and veggies.
Eat five fruits and
vegetables per day. If
you fill up on these,
you will likely eat fewer
calories as these are
lower in calories than
most foods.

12. 10. Eat healthy snacks.
Snack on something
healthy instead of junk
food. Fiber bars, fresh
fruit or baked chips are
better options.

13. For More Information
Shepherd.org
MyShepherdConnection.org
News.Shepherd.org
ChooseMyPlate.gov