COLOR ME HEALTHY. Adding more fruits and veggies to your plate is a good way to control weight.

Are you making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, or have you been eyeing up a new diet? If a diet or product sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Some diets remove foods that have nutrients your body needs, some even cut entire food groups. These are fad diets and are not long-term solutions to lose weight. (In Wisconsin, seven in 10 adults are overweight or obese according to the 2022 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System.)

“Trendy diets may sound exciting to shed a few pounds but are only a temporary fix,” says Janessa VandenBerge, a public health specialist with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department. “Instead, make healthy eating and being more physically active your main goals for the year and losing weight will follow.”

Here are some healthy habits if you’re trying for a “new you” in the New Year: 

• Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. Make your fruits and vegetables the focal point of every meal. Instead of tossing out all “bad” foods, eat more healthy foods.
• Stay hydrated. Water is best. Do not feel like you need to force down plain water. Try sparkling water or add fresh fruit to ice-cold water.
• Be active. Move more, sit less. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity five days per week. Walk at the mall, clean the house, dance to music!
• Pack healthy snacks. Avoid grazing all day. Plan for one or two healthy snacks. Put snacks in a small bowl or bag. Avoid eating straight from the package.
• Eat at the kitchen table. Turn off screens and focus on enjoying your food. Experts have found that eating in front of a screen doesn’t allow our brain to register that we are eating. Needless to say, we eat much more. 

Remember, losing weight is much more than the numbers on the scale. It is about developing healthy habits that can last a lifetime.