Diets – Which One Is Right For You?

When it comes to weight loss, there’s no lack of fad diets promising fast results. But a lot of these diets limit your nutritional intake, they can be unhealthy, and most of them fail in the long run. It is easy to regain the lost weight and sometimes put on more pounds at the same time.

Diets and weight loss supplements have become a billion dollar industry. But, which diet is right for you? Any well thought out diet will work and help you lose weight. There are two basic elements that you have to look for. Reduce your intake of calories and increase your activity level. If you do these two things, you can stop worrying about losing weight, because you will.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), our society has become ‘obesogenic,’ characterized by an environment that promotes increased food intake, nonhealthful foods, and physical inactivity. We’ve become super-sized so that we can eat the food portions that are served today.

Earlier this year, an article was published in the New England Journal of Medicine that compared the results of a two-year study obtained from four different diets. Each diet was either high or low in the amount of allowable carbohydrates, fats and protein. The study included 811 people who also took part in groups or individual counseling sessions.

The results indicated that all of the diets work to help people lose weight and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The study suggested that any diet will help you lose weight when it is approached with enthusiasm and persistence. Persistence is the key.

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t about short-term changes in your diet. It’s all about maintaining a lifestyle that includes healthy eating, regular physical activity, and not eating more calories than your body can use. You have to be aware of what and how much you eat.

The results of the study show that the diet you choose is not as important as your attitude, persistence and following a plan. Healthy weight loss isn’t just about a “diet” or “program”. It’s about keeping an ongoing lifestyle that includes permanent changes in your daily eating and exercise habits. Losing unwanted pounds and staying in control of your weight is most important to good health now and as you age.

To stay at a healthy weight, it’s worth doing a little planning now. If you are overweight but aren’t ready to lose weight, preventing further weight gain is a worthy goal. The plan should include a change in diet, exercise and support.

A great resource to review various weight loss programs is available at Markethealth.com. This is a free resource to help you make healthy food and lifestyle choices for you and your family. You’ll find topics that will help improve your overall health and sense of well-being related to weight loss, relationships, diet, exercises, nutrition, vitamins, prevention, and more.