As of ten years ago, there were already over 108 million Americans battling obesity or who were overweight. The ranks of the overweight and obese have increased vastly since that time and the average US waistline has been steadily expanding for some time now. Obesity and the health problems which it causes are already a significant public health issue and by the year 2020, it is predicted to reach the level of a national health crisis.

To prevent obesity, the best thing to be done is to educate the public on how carrying extra pounds can damage their health.

These are just some of the diseases which you’re at a higher risk of if you’re overweight:

1. Heart disease 2. Stroke 3. Diabetes 4. Cancer 5. Arthritis 6. Hypertension

Losing extra weight and keeping it off prevents these diseases and can help treat them in people who have already developed them.

Many companies have taken advantage of the obesity epidemic by selling fad diet plans. These make plenty of money for their manufacturers, but do not provide a long term solution. Instead, they tend to rely on pills and supplements. Even when these diets do allow users to lose some weight, this type of rapid weight loss is not healthy; and gaining back the lost pounds in the dreaded yo-yo is even worse ” and that’s exactly what happens to most of the people who use these programs.

Better by far is a healthy weight loss plan which lets you lose those excess pounds and keep them off. The key is to set realistic weight loss goals instead of trying to lose it all in a matter of weeks. The following are some valuable tips for healthy weight loss:

1. Stop starving yourself

The key to a healthier way of losing weight is: Do not diet.

It may be gratifying to see some of the pounds melt away when you skip meals and cut back drastically on your caloric intake, but this weight loss will not last. You wont be getting the energy you need and you’ll slow your metabolism down; so it will be harder to lose weight!

What happens is that your body will get used to using stored energy instead of the calories from your diet – so when you do eat, this energy will be immediately stored as fat! This is hardly what you want.

2. Make breakfast a habit

Eat a healthy breakfast everyday to kick start your metabolism for the day.

Your food intake after you wake up will be used to burn fat all day long.

3. Have small, frequent meals

If you want to lose weight, then the way to go is to eat small healthy meals five or six times per day instead of three larger ones. You’ll boost your metabolism this way and this technique also reduces overeating.

4. Decide on how much weight you want to lose.

Keep your goals realistic. In the long run, it is virtually impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in 2 weeks. Have a mindset that you want to eat healthy to stay healthy for the rest of your life.

Set your goals and stick to your plan!

5. Drink plenty of water

Water helps you burn fat and stay hydrated ” so get six to eight glasses every day.

6. Go easy on the sugar

Your diet should consist of fresh produce, lean, high quality proteins and whole grains. You can have the occasional treat, but make sure this doesn’t become a habit.

7. Get the right dietary fats

Fat does not make you fat, regardless of what anyone says. You need some fat in your diet to stay healthy, in fact.

However, these should be heart-healthy fats like peanut and olive oils. Fish oils are also healthy and contain healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.

8. Exercise consistently

There are plenty of ways to stay fit. If you have the time and the motivation to get to the gym, do this by all means. However, you can use other ways to get regular exercise. For instance, if its possible for you to walk or bicycle to work instead of driving, do so! You can also run errands this way ” any opportunity you have to walk or bike instead of driving should be taken advantage of. Start taking the stairs and make walking or cycling a part of your daily routine. Its not going to make you lose 50 pounds in three days, but youll start to see the difference sooner than you think.

No matter how much weight you want to lose, setting realistic weight loss goals provides you with positive reinforcement and useful benchmarks to measure your progress.

Remember not to push yourself too hard. Don’t be afraid to take it easy for a day and pat yourself on the back after you meet that first goal; you’ve earned it. Of course, don’t wait too long – you’ll want to get back in the saddle and on your way towards the next goal.

Getting regular exercise, drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep will have you on your way to healthy weight loss and a whole new you!