Swimsuit season is here. Did you manage to lose that extra weight you put on over of the winter? If not, you’re not alone. About 68 percent of Americans are overweight or obese.

But it’s not too late to lose those excess pounds. In order to successfully lose weight, you must make long-term changes to your diet and lifestyle habits. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to a thinner, healthier you. 

1. Follow a low-carbohydrate, calorie-controlled food plan for weight loss. Choose healthier foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, leaner cuts of meats and low-fat to non-fat dairy products. Generally, by cutting 500 to 1000 calories a day, you can lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. But, don’t let your total calorie intake go below 1,200 a day for women and 1,400 for men; otherwise, you won’t get the nutrients your body needs. Talk with your doctor about the right diet for you, based upon your specific medical needs.
2. Keep track of what you eat in a food diary to keep you from eating mindlessly.
3. Eat several small meals a day, rather than 2 or 3 big meals. Studies show that by eating several small meals a day, your body releases less insulin, so your blood sugar remains steady, helping you to control your hunger.
4. Watch your portion sizes. When eating out, ask your server to wrap up half of your meal once it’s served to keep you from overeating.
5. Eat slowly to allow your brain to realize when your stomach is full.
6. Exercise regularly for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, three to five times a week to start. Slowly increase your duration until you’re exercising 30 to 45 minutes a day, five days a week. Choose an activity you enjoy doing. By burning more calories than you take in, you can lose weight.
7. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day so your stomach feels fuller, reducing the tendency to overeat. Plus, by drinking more water, you won’t mistake thirst for hunger.
8. Surround yourself with a support network to keep you motivated. Studies show that people who have others they can rely on for support will lose more weight than people who don’t have a support system.
9. Beware of emotional eating, which can lead to overeating. Find other ways to cope with stress or negative emotions, such as taking a walk or meditation.
10. Keep a positive attitude – focusing on your health. Set-backs are bound to happen, but resolve to begin again the next day. Lifestyle changes take time to develop, so try not to get discouraged by setting small goals, such as losing 10 pounds, instead of focusing on losing 50 pounds.

By adopting healthier habits, you can achieve lasting weight loss and be swimsuit ready before the summer is over.

Did you know that excess weight can lead to foot pain?

If you’re overweight or obese, the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet’s arches will stretch and become weaker due to your extra body weight. Eventually, they’ll give out, causing the bones in your feet to collapse and flatten your arches. Once this occurs, you may develop pain in your feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back.

Also, if you have flat arches, you may develop foot conditions like arch pain, plantar fasciitis, overpronation, heel spurs or posterior tibial tendonitis (pain in the tendon that runs along the inside of your ankle and foot).

Custom orthotics, like ezWalker^® Performance Insoles, are biomechanically designed to properly support the medial, lateral and trans-metatarsal arches of your feet. With proper support, your body weight is evenly redistributed over both of your feet and your whole body is correctly realigned. By supporting your arches, these custom insoles reduce the shock forces your feet experience every day, providing you with pain relief.

ezWalker^® insoles are ultra thin and ¾ in length, so they transfer easily from shoe to shoe – saving you money. Order your ezWalker^® Performance Insoles today.

Because … when your feet feel good, you feel good.