If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, then you’re not alone. About a third of all people who make resolutions want to lose weight as their primary goal. That’s because over 65% of American adults are overweight. Plus, many people pack on a few extra pounds over the holiday season.
If you want to lose weight safely and sustain it, basically the proven process involves the following five steps.
Step 1: Self-Assessment
Take a hard look at your current diet, exercise and lifestyle habits. Being conscious of your behaviors is the first step to change. Determine why you overeat or don’t exercise. Think of steps you can take to change these behaviors.
Perform a body assessment – weight, body fat percentage, and measurements (arms, bust/chest, waist, hips, thighs and legs). Record your results. Take photos of yourself from the front, side and back. (Post them on the refrigerator for motivation.)
Step 2: Set Your Goal and Determine Why You Want to Lose Weight
Determine how much you want to weigh as your end point and/or how much you want lose within a certain timeframe, such as 120 lbs. for your end point or weight loss of 2 lbs. per week. Ask yourself why you want to lose weight, such as “I want to be healthier,” “I want to look great for my high school reunion,” or “I want to stop taking medication for my high cholesterol.”
Step 3: Follow a Plan
You can follow one of the many established exercise and diet plans out there, develop your own plan or talk to your doctor about a plan he/she recommends. A sensible plan may involve:
- Eating less than 1800 calories per day – 3 meals and 2 snacks.
- Eating 3 to 5 servings of vegetables per day.
- Walking at a determined pace (breathing noticeably but still able to carry on a conversation) for 30 minutes, 5 times a week.
- Creating low-calorie meals and snacks that you can eat.
Step 4: Take Action
Ask Nike says, “Just do it.” However, if it seems like it’s too much to do, then break it down into more manageable pieces, such as cutting out all sweets or soda, eating a piece of fruit instead of potato chips, walking for 10 to 15 minutes a day, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Step 5: Track Your Progress
Set a schedule to track your progress, such as weighing each week or taking your measurements monthly. This will help you stay motivated by linking your efforts to your positive results. Other ways you can determine your progress include observing if you have increased stamina or strength levels, or looser fitting clothes.
By following these steps, you are on the path to successful weight loss.
Excess Weight Can Lead to Foot Pain
Did you know that excess body weight can affect the arches of your feet? If you are overweight or obese, your body’s extra weight causes the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the foot’s arches to stretch and become weaker. Over time, these structures will give, causing the bones and joints of the feet to shift and collapse, flattening the arches. This can lead to pain in the feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back.
Additionally, if the arches are not protected from becoming flat, or they’re already flat and left untreated, you may develop arch pain, plantar fasciitis, overpronation, heel spurs, frequent ankle sprains, hindfoot arthritis or posterior tibial tendonitis (pain in the tendon that runs along the inside of the ankle and the foot).
Custom orthotics, like the ezWalker® Performance Insole, are biomechanically designed to properly support the medial, lateral, and trans-metatarsal arches of your feet by redistributing your body weight evenly over both feet and bringing your whole body into correct alignment. Additionally, by supporting your arches, these custom insoles reduce the shock forces your feet experience every day, providing you with pain relief and comfort for the entire body.
The WalkEzStore.com uses a unique, 7-step, biomechanical, non-weight-bearing, custom-impression process to create a functional orthotic that controls the hind foot and allows proper function of the first metatarsal joint – creating a better step with each step you take.
The ezWalker® is ultra thin and ¾ in length, so it can transfer easily from shoe to shoe. Plus, it can be worn with almost any type of footwear. So order your ezWalker® Performance Insoles today! And good luck with your weight loss journey!
Because … when your feet feel good, you feel good.
