It's that time of year again. Everyone is making New Year's resolutions. We woke up on January 1 and vowed to lose weight we may have gained over the holidays and drastically change our eating and exercise habits. We might even jump on a fad diet bandwagon, one that promises to help us shed excess pounds in record time. But the fact is, most diets succeed in the short term and fail in the long term. The Institute of the Psychology of Eating reports a stunning dieting statistic that has been around since 1959: 95 percent of all dieters will regain the weight they lose within one year.
While we hope, and think, that the diet dilemma has changed over the last 66 years, the reality is that it hasn't. There are about 45 million people in the United States dieting on any given day, yet obesity is at epidemic proportions.
So, what's the secret to being fit and healthy? The truth is, staying healthy is a journey, not an annual quest. It is not a series of failed diets or exercise binges. It is, however, a collection of small steps and a very simple concept of balance: calories in and calories out. If we consume more than we burn, then we gain weight. To lose weight, we have to either eat a little less or exercise a little more. Keep in mind, we only have to reduce our calorie intake by 500 per day to lose an extra pound of fat in one week.
While our busy lives can get in the way of the best intentions and effort, try to take one day at a time, looking at your progress each week. There will be many temptations that challenge us to make the right choices, but remain focused and remember: Anything worth something takes time.
So make a promise to yourself to keep the spirit of wellness all year long and remember that changing your life is a journey that you must take one step at a time. By taking charge of your health and making good choices — exercising regularly, eating healthy and getting enough sleep — you'll not only look and feel better, you'll have more energy and live longer, too.
Visit the weight management section of the Barnabas Health online Health Library to learn more about nutrition, exercise, risk factors for obesity, health risks from being overweight and more. For more information, visit http://healthlibrary.barnabashealth.org/Wellness/Weight/.