For the City Times
MARSHFIELD – For anyone with a big weight-loss goal for a January diet resolution, losing weight slowly may not be the best option. It could take months or years to reach a goal weight, and it’s hard to stay on any “diet” for that long.

Instead of resorting to a fad or crash diet, studies have shown that following a lifestyle change program promoting fast initial weight loss leads to greater weight loss overall, and better long-term outcomes. For those looking for a fast, healthy weight-loss option, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the program created by HMR and offered locally at Marshfield Clinic Health System as a Best Diet for Fast Weight Loss for the seventh year in a row.

“There’s nothing magical about the program that gets the fast weight loss,” said Kelly Murphy, a registered nurse and health educator at Marshfield Clinic Wausau Center. “The plan is designed so you never have to go hungry, and that’s the most important thing. If you’re not feeling deprived, it’s easier to stay on the plan longer, which leads to more weight loss in a short amount of time.”

Renee Trapp, health educator at Marshfield Clinic Minocqua Center, says that whether you lose weight quickly or slowly, you won’t be able to keep it off without making some changes to your lifestyle, specifically around physical activity and fruits and vegetables.

“That’s why lifestyle-change education and coaching is at the core of all HMR Programs,” Trapp said. “The plan helps get the weight off quickly, and as you’re losing weight, you’re learning and practicing new skills around healthier eating and exercise.”

For information call Marshfield Clinic Health System’s HMR program in Minocqua at 715-358-1036, Wausau at 715-847-3882.