Weight Management
Weight is only one component of health. Even if you carry some extra weight, by eating right and getting plenty of physical activity, you'll feel better, have more energy, and reduce your risk of weight-related diseases, such as coronary artery disease, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke. In fact, you may be healthier than a thin person who eats poorly and isn't physically active.
Why is losing weight so hard?
While a diet may help you lose a few pounds quickly, following a restrictive diet long-term is unrealistic and requires extraordinary commitment. Once you stop dieting and exercising, the weight comes back. Some people fall into an unhealthy cycle of losing and gaining weight, which may be harder on the body than just being overweight.
It's also difficult to overcome the roadblocks to weight loss: lack of time for exercise, family and work commitments, huge portions at restaurants, holidays centered around food, and illness or injury.
Research shows that people who are most successful in improving their health have made the broader and more significant shift to a healthier lifestyle rather than targeting weight loss. A lifestyle of healthy eating and regular physical activity will improve your health and quality of life, no matter what you weigh.
How do I change my lifestyle?
First you'll need to learn the skills to make lifelong changes and find the support you need to create a healthy lifestyle that's right for you. Look for balanced, realistic, and enjoyable ways to fit healthful changes into your life.
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