Hello!
This is a wonderful post, and you are a wonderful sister for exercising with your brother.
Here are some tips for your brother, feel free to write them down, or print them off:
~Do some sort of physical activity each day. It doesn't always have to be the exercise videos. Take a walk together, go swimming in the summer, or play Dance Dance Revolution for a while. There are all sorts of physical activities that burn calories.
Just do SOMETHING.
~Portion control is the biggest thing. Everyone likes pizza and fries now and then, and it is okay to have some now and then-but the key is PORTION CONTROL. If you have pizza, have one or two slices for a meal. Eating 4 slices is too much for anyone.
You don't need to large size the value meal at McDonalds...taking the fries and drink to a large size adds hundreds of uneccessary calories.
Portion control is the biggest factor in everything-we often go back for seconds, and eat until we are "stuffed" when we should stop when we "are no longer hungry". There is a big difference. Slow down, enjoy a smaller portion of food...and realize when we are no longer hungry-and stop.
~Avoid sugary drinks. If you drink 2 cans of soda or other sugary drink every single day...that is about 300 calories each day. If this is a habit, cutting these out could lead to losing 2 pounds a month just doing this one single thing. Water instead!
It is the little things and changes that add up over time-for someone who drinks 2 sodas a day, this could lead to 24 pounds lost in a year!
~Have fruits and vegetables for snacks. They are low in calories, and high in nutrients. A Snickers bar is around 300 calories...a cup of strawberries is 45 calories. You would have to eat 6 cups of strawberries to equal the one candy bar. I think just about everyone would stop before then.
~Food is fuel. Think about your body being a car. Would your car run better on gasoline, or on Kool-Aid?
So many people eat Pop Tarts for breakfast, a cheeseburger for lunch, and pizza for dinner, and wash them down with sodas. You may not be "hungry" but you are not fueling your body properly with the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other things that the body needs. Your body will feel better, perform better, and live longer if it is fueled properly. Lean meats (chicken breast, fish, turkey, lean beef) that are not fried, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (think oatmeal instead of Lucky Charms, whole wheat bread instead of Pop Tarts) fuel your body better.
So, the three main keys are:
~Eat when hungry-but stop before you are stuffed (portion control)
~Physical activity
~Eat BETTER food to fuel a healthier body
This is a very simplified post...but it is because I wanted to explain it in a way that a younger person could better relate. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.