Take Control of Your Weight and Your Health

May 6, 2013

Learn ways to prevent becoming overweight and how to overcome it if you need extra help.

Let's kick off this declaration to get healthy with some motivation from a recent Pinterest post by The Biggest Loser:

Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you.

The Biggest Loser has been a huge success for nearly a decade. It has even inspired family members, friends and co-workers to start their own Biggest Loser challenges across the country. This tells us one thing that we already know – obesity is a problem in America – and something else more encouraging: We have the desire and the drive to overcome obesity and maintain healthy lives.

The Bad News

According to The Obesity Society, "obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above," meaning a high ratio of weight to height. Based on the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3 out of 10 adults and close to 2 out of 10 children are obese. It affects men and women equally, and the situation hasn't improved.

The Good News

But there is a desire among people to be healthy. That's something we can build on. With the following tips and commitment, you can overcome being overweight.

Exercise and Eat Healthy

"I know, I know," you might say. But these are essential to achieving and maintaining not only a healthy weight, but an overall healthy body. Proper nutrition can help your body prevent cancer and many other health conditions. You'll have more energy. Healthy living helps your body function better – period. If you've had difficulty maintaining discipline in these areas, the rest of these tips might help you find a way to stay on track.

Use the Buddy System

Just like all the people who have started their own Biggest Loser groups in offices and neighborhoods, you can start your own group. Or find a friend who is willing to commit with you. When you're lacking motivation, your buddy can help – and vice versa.

Ease Into It

Any time we start a diet or exercise plan, we're excited. We're motivated. But don't do too much too soon, especially if you haven't been active. Not only is this unhealthy for your body, it can lead to discouragement. Start out easy and gradually increase the intensity of workouts.

Patience

Don't expect to see results overnight, or even over the first few weeks. It may be disheartening to work so hard and see little change, but the effort you are putting in is benefiting your body. And your diligence will eventually pay off. Keep going!

Make It Fun

Take a cooking class to learn how to prepare a variety of healthy foods in delicious ways. Join an exercise class – swimming, martial arts, kickboxing, Tae Bo, etc. Participate in an organized activity that meets regularly, maybe a dragon boat racing team, hiking club or dance lessons.

Use Technology and Let Others Do the Work for You

The Web has a variety of resources for staying accountable and finding healthy meals:

Make It Personal

If you can't do it on your own and the buddy system has failed, get a personal trainer. A trainer will be your voice of discipline and motivation when you've lost yours. Trainers also have experience and knowledge in how to exercise correctly so your routine and progress will be healthy.

Use Medical Science

If you're already overweight and find yourself struggling to find success in weight loss, there's medical help available. See a doctor, bariatric surgeon, dietician or weight loss center. There are many treatments for obesity so talk to your health care professional as to the treatment best for you.

Make It a Habit

Once you've found the routines that work for you, stick to them. Maybe mix them up for variety, but keep the good habit going. Your body will crave what you feed it. Get your body used to healthy living, and it will crave healthy living.