Losing weight in a healthy way means more than crash diets and quick fixes—it’s about making sustainable choices that improve your overall health. If you’re overweight or have obesity, losing even a small amount of weight can reduce risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and some cancers. A sensible diet should emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins (like poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts), and low-fat or fat-free dairy, while cutting back on saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars. Portion control and choosing nutrient-rich foods help you burn more calories than you eat.
Exercise plays a key role too—you’ll lose weight more effectively and keep it off more easily when diet and physical activity go together. Be cautious of fad or crash diets: they may promise rapid results, but they often lack essential nutrients and don’t lead to permanent weight loss. Instead, pick a realistic eating plan you can maintain long term, like the Mediterranean or DASH diets, and build slow, steady changes for lasting results.
