Obesity is a rising trend in our country and some would go so far as to call it an epidemic. Between 1988–1994 and 2007–2008 the prevalence of obesity, in America, has increased in adults at all income and education levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Does it surprise you that more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese? That’s 35.7%, which is almost half of our population. That’s scary.

For that reason, weight reduction is very, very important. Obesity can lead to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. And in 2008, the estimated medical costs associated with obesity were $147 billion--$1,429 higher than those who were not considered to be obese.

That is a problem. Weight reduction can be a tricky process, but it doesn't have to be if you make the commitment and take the time to educate yourself.

Successful weight reduction largely depends on your readiness to take on the challenge

Successful weight reduction depends on a permanent lifestyle change. You’re going to have to take the time to eat better and make the time to go to the gym. If you’re not ready to do those things, then you probably won’t be successful in your weight-loss endeavors. Knowing you need to make changes and actually doing them are two different things. It’s easy to stay stuck in your comfort zone, even if you’re unhappy with your weight. Sometimes we make a challenge (like weight-loss) out to be way harder than it seems and when it’s all said and done, we discourage ourselves from trying. The lesson here is not to do that. Just give it a try because the only thing you have to lose is the fat.

Address the distractions in your life

Successful weight reduction needs your full attention in order to be successful. If you’re dealing with stress on the job, marital problems, illness or financial woes, it’s going to be tough to implement a new challenge into your lifestyle. You might think, “Losing weight will make me happier and better equipped to deal with current stressors in my life,” but that’s not the case. You’ll end up stressing yourself out if you can’t meet the demands of the new challenge (weight reduction) because of the current battles you’re already facing. Make sure you know yourself well enough to be able to determine whether or not you can take on the weight reduction challenge.

Be realistic in your goals

Over the long term, it’s best to aim for losing 1-to-2 pounds a week. Initially, you’re probably going to want to lose a lot more than that; but, that’s not healthy. If you try to lose more than that, you’re going to end up hurting yourself.

Here’s something that could help

We can’t exercise for you, but we can help you eat better. BistroMD is an innovative diet delivery service that serves fresh, healthy food. We don’t believe in the suffering of calorie counting or restrictive portions. We are built on the foundation of healthy weight reduction that is based on the science that food is medicine. Healthy food paired with exercise is shown to give results. Our founding weight-loss physician and our Registered Dieticians ensure that the nutritional requirements for healthy weight-loss are met in every entrée. These requirements are: 1,100-1,400 calories daily with 40-50% total caloric intake from lean, adequate protein, 20-25% of calories from healthy fats, and 30-35% from complex carbohydrates.

If our meal plan sounds like a good fit for you, we offer two programs to choose from. We feature a men or a women’s program, with the option of five-or-seven-day delivery options. The two programs range in price from $130-$160 and our tasty snacks are also an additional option. One snack costs $1.50 and the number of snacks you receive per day is based on gender. Women receive two snacks per day and men receive three snacks per day.