Resolving To Lose Weight This Year? Go Back To Basics With Good Eating And Exercis e Habits (NAPSA)—Losing weight is the number one New Year’s resolution in America and often people turn to fad diets as a quick fix. But fad diets change as often as the seasons, and by spring those resolutions to lose weight are long gone. According to medical experts, there is no quick and easy wayto lose weight. The foundation of every successful weight-loss program still remains a healthy diet combined with exercise. Permanent changes in lifestyle and health habits must be made to lose significant weight and then keepitoff. “With the typical New Year’s resolutions to lose weight come complex diet plans and fad diets that either restrict certain food groups, cost too much money, or take too much time—causing Americans to quickly lose sight of their good intentions for the New Year,” said Timothy Crimmins, M.D., Vice President of Health, Safety, and Environment at General Mills. Last January, hundreds of employees at General Mills kept their New Year’s resolutions to lose weight with a program called “The 10/10 Challenge,”—employees were challenged to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks by making changes to their eating and exercise habits. Employees shed nearly 3,000 pounds in 10 weeks. The tried and true program, now called “Brand New You”is available for free across the country to help Americans succeed with weight loss resolutions this year. “Brand New You’ is based on the proven formula for losing weight, which is managing calo- “i. ees ing tips, and tools for tracking weight loss progress. Visitors register for the program online and based on their height, weight, age, gender and activity level, the program delivers a customized 10-week meal plan designed to help consumers lose 1 pound per week. The weekby-week printable plan includes Ween > Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps is one of the recipes featured in the customized menu plan designed to help you shed 10 poundsin 10 weeks. ries in and calories out through balance, moderation and exer- cise,” says Crimmins. “The success our employees had with this program can now be achieved across the country.” The no-cost weight management program, found at www.brand newyou.com, incorporates foods already found in most pantries across the country, as well as foods that can be found in virtually every aisle of the grocery store. It’s easy to follow, offers great tasting, convenient foods, and fits into every lifestyle whether consumers are cooking just for themselves or their entire family. The program provides consumers with ten weeks of customized daily menus developed by dieticians. The heart of the program is a balanced diet that includes grab and go snacks as well as easy, delicious recipes the whole family will enjoy. The site also includes exercise tips, strategies for eating smart, inspirational success stories, healthy liv- nutritional information for all meals and snacks, as well as recipes. Sample meals include Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps, Ultimate Melt in Your Mouth Pancakes and Grilled Chicken with Scalloped Potatoes. “The program is designed to last 10 weeks, based on the theory that it takes about eight to 10 weeksfor people to make a behavioral change and about six weeks to see the benefits of a fitness regimen,” said Crimmins. “A weight loss of one pound per week is a healthy and sustainable rate of weight reduction.” Those having trouble getting motivated can log on to www.brand newyou.com to read inspirational success stories, like this one from Mark Addicks, Chief Marketing Officer for General Mills: “The 10/10 Challenge couldn’t have come at a better time for me. The program taught me new exercise and eating habits, and as a result, I lost 22 pounds in little more than two months,” says Addicks. “TI sustain my weight loss by working out daily and practicing portion control.” The biggest benefit to weight loss? According to Addicks, it is having more energy to play with his five-year-old son, John.
