By By ERIN VER BERKMOES Niles Daily Star
NILES - During the holidays it seems as if you can't go anywhere without being offered some kind of baked good or other delicious food items.
With the new year quickly approaching, people often use this time to start working on making themselves healthier and to try and lose weight.
Michelle Detweiler, a fitness instructor at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA, believes anyone can lose the extra pounds they have put on if they don't give up and really work at it.
Detweiler added it's not only important to do an aerobics program but to start lifting weights, as well.
She said the real key to losing weight and getting healthier is to not give up.
Detweiler explained another mistake people make when they start an exercise program to lose weight is fail to change their eating habits.
If you want to see dramatic results you have to be strict, Detweiler said.
She believes one of the main problems in the United States is the amount of sugar people consume.
Detweiler said eating good amounts of fresh fruits and raw vegetables is an easy way to change one's diet.
Another tip Detweiler has for those wishing to lose weight is to set a time for themselves in the evening in which they don't eat anything else.
For Detweiler, fad diets such as Atkins, the Zone and South Beach are just that - a fad.
Detweiler said for those who don't think they will be able to do something like this, they should get that thought out of their mind. Anyone can do it, she said.