Lose weight and keep it off

Nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population is overweight or obese, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Being overweight can cause a wide range of health problems, from type 2 diabetes and gallstones to coronary disease and strokes. Despite the onslaught of weight-loss fads and headlines, the only real way to achieve and maintain an ideal weight is to turn healthful eating into a lifelong, enjoyable habit. Following are some tips to get started. • Eat fresh, local produce. Farmers’ markets are a great source of local fruits and vegetables, which offer better nutritional value than produce picked two weeks ago and shipped from another country. Seasonal produce also tastes better than watery fruits and vegetables forced to ripen out of season. • Enjoy healthful eating with friends and family. Trade good-for-you recipes with friends and family members or host meals and ask others to bring a nutritious dish to share. Plan a cooking challenge where everyone brings one healthful ingredient. • Take small steps. If you want to lose weight, focus on dropping one pound a week or less. When you lose weight too fast, you can lose lean muscle mass and cause your body to enter survival mode, hanging onto body fat. Once you’ve met your small goal, you can set a new one. Read morehttp://tinyurl.com/m4v9bbk