Jump on that wagon and STAY on it! Heart and Stroke Foundation online tool helps users stick with healthy lifestyle resolutions

Heart and Stroke Foundation re-launches Healthy Weight Action Plan for a heart healthy 2012 - and a longer, fuller life

TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2012 /CNW/ - The New Year signifies new beginnings, and for many of us that means new health and weight loss goals. For a fresh start in 2012, the Heart and Stroke Foundation has launched a new version of its My Heart&Stroke Healthy Weight Action Plan™, an online weight-management tool that helps people set realistic goals and stick with them. The free, easy-to-use tool provides information, resources and guidance to help people make healthy changes that will last a lifetime.

"These days, Canadians lead busier lives than ever, and we know that good habits around healthy eating and setting aside time for physical activity often slip down the priority list," says Ahmad Zbib  MD, CPHIMS-CA, Manager, Consumer eHealth, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Ontario. "The New Year is the perfect time to change this. The Healthy Weight Action Plan is designed to help users make a long-term commitment to their health, giving them the support and encouragement they need to keep on track towards living a longer, fuller life."

Healthy changes aren't just measured on a scale; making positive lifestyle changes can also result in improvements to your blood pressure, cholesterol and other markers of health. Instead of focusing primarily on weight loss, the Healthy Weight Action Plan helps users adopt healthy behaviours that are conducive to reaching and maintaining health and weight loss. This means incorporating three important core practices: goal setting, planning, and tracking.

"We all want immediate gratification when it comes to losing weight, but research has shown that the quick fix is not the way to go if you want to keep it off," says Carol Dombrow, Registered Dietitian. "Fad diets are not sustainable - often resulting in weight gain as soon as the diet is stopped. The bottom line is that fad diets don't work in the long term."

My Heart&Stroke Healthy Weight Action Plan includes:

• a weekly planner that maximizes the likelihood that you will carry out the healthy behaviors that you desire;
• meal plans based on individual requirements and preferences, and ensuring sound nutrition;
• articles to help reinforce core concepts such as healthy eating, time and stress management, emotional eating, sabotage;
• weekly emails to guide users through the behaviour change process; and a
• Facebook discussion forum to allow users to connect and discuss goals, challenges, solutions, and recipes.

The situation is critical: One in three Canadians die from heart disease and stroke, and it is the #1 killer of women. The Foundation is urging Canadians to act now to take the necessary steps towards living a longer, fuller life. Tools like the Healthy Weight Action Plan make this an easier feat.

"Reaching your health goals and maintaining them should be your long-term objective," adds Dombrow. "And using the Healthy Weight Action Plan can definitely help to keep you on the road to success."

For more information about the Heart&Stroke Healthy Weight Action Plan visit www.heartandstroke.ca/hwplan

Media contact:
Tonya Johnson, Sr. Associate Manager, Media Relations
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario
Phone: [phone] ext. 353
Email: [email protected]a