Welcome to Weight Loss Diet - Information on Quick Weight Loss Tips

Weight--losing it, gaining it, losing it again--is a concern for at least half the population of the United States. Why? Because besides being uncomfortable, being overweight brings serious health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Losing weight can prevent type 2 diabetes from developing in those most at risk. And if you already have type 2, losing weight--even 10 pounds--can lower insulin resistance, resulting in lower blood sugar levels. This is good for you now, and in the future. Losing weight has a powerful ripple effect on your health.

Here are some facts about diets and some secrets to winning the weight-loss challenge:

1. Fad diets only work for awhile.

2. Fad diets are usually not healthy ways to eat.

3. Most diets make you feel like you're starving, so you end up overeating.

4. The weight won't stay off until you learn a healthier way to eat.

5. A daily food journal covering three or four days can clear up any mystery about where weight comes from.

6. Weight-loss drugs will not be successful over the long run unless you learn healthier ways of eating.

7. Fat has more than twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrate or protein, so cut the fat--especially saturated fat--in your diet first and see what happens to your weight.

8. The best carbohydrates are whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Eat them for the vitamins and minerals, and you get the bonus of fiber, which makes you feel full. Feeling full means it's easier to stick with healthier eating.

9. To lose weight and keep it off, keep in mind this simple rule: You have to burn more calories than you eat. You burn calories with physical activity--even running the vacuum or fidgeting in your chair counts. So, move it and lose it!

If you're interested in losing weight and keeping it off, check out the special section in the April edition of Diabetes Forecast, pages 49 to 86. The following new books from ADA will also help: 101 Weight Loss Tips For Preventing And Controlling Diabetes is written by three experts in weight loss and diabetes. Confessions Of A Couch Potato (Or, If I'm So Skinny, Why Do I Still Feel Like Flounder?) by actor Stephen Furst (Animal House, St. Elsewhere, and Babylon 5) shows how to lose weight without being hungry. And if you want to lose weight and protect your heart, try the tips in Keeping Your Heart Healthy Despite Diabetes. All can be ordered by calling 1-800-232-6733, or log on to http://store.diabetes.org (no www needed).