When you set your mind to losing weight, you liklely want fast results. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, notes that the most healthy and sustainable rate of weight loss is about 1 or 2 lbs. per week. Any faster and you are likely losing only water and lean muscle mass. Fad diets that overly restrict calories or rely on certain foods or supplements are usually impossible to adhere to for more than a few weeks, and when you return to your regular diet, any lost weight returns. In addition to the standard recommendations of lowering calories and exercising, certain steps may help you achieve the maximum 2-lb.-per-week weight loss and adopt strategies to keep it off.
Eliminate Discretionary Calories
To lose weight, find alternatives for the "extra" calories you eat in a day. Soda, candy, refined flours, cookies, creamy dressings and processed snacks can add hundreds of calories to your day. Instead of simply giving them up---replace them with healthier, lower calorie alternatives. Instead of a white bagel at breakfast that weighs in at 300 calories, go for a 150-calorie whole-grain English muffin. Substitute sparkling water mixed with 4 oz. of pure cranberry juice for a soda at lunch to save 100 calories. At dinner, use ample amounts of balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp. of olive oil for a 50-calorie dressing on your salad instead of 2 tsp. of ranch dressing for 250 calories. Snack on high-volume, low-calorie foods like air-popped popcorn, clear soups and berries.
Food Diary
The simple exercise of writing down your food intake increases your rate of weight loss. A study led by researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2008, reported that people who kept a food diary lost as much as twice the amount of weight as counterparts who did not keep records. Try an online resource like thedailyplate.com or jot notes in a personal notebook.
Move
In addition to regular exercise equivalent to at least an hour a day five times per week, move more throughout the day. Simple activities like walking to your car, cleaning house, washing dishes or fidgeting can contribute to a calorie burn that result in weight loss. Burn just 250 more calories per day with these techniques to result in an additional 1/2 lb. of weight loss per week. Turning off the television helps get you more active, too.
Eat Protein
Focusing a greater number of your calories on protein may help you feel fuller and decrease cravings, resulting in faster weight loss results. The journal "Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease" published a study in 2009 illustrating that subjects following a short-term diet high in protein achieved greater weight loss than those following a standard protein diet. Eat about 35 percent of daily calories in the form of protein, the upper limits recommended by the Institutes of Medicine, and be sure to stick to lean proteins like fish, poultry, tenderloin and egg whites to keep saturated fat and total calorie intake in check. Also, balance protein with some healthy carbohydrates like vegetables, fresh fruits and ½ cup servings of whole grains.
References
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease: High Protein Diets Decrease Total and Abdominal Fat and Improve CVD Risk Profile in Overweight and Obese Men and Women with Elevated Triacylglycerol
- Centers for Disease Control: Losing Weight
- The New York Times: The Lean and the Restless
- American Journal of Preventative Medicine: Weight Loss During the Intensive Intervention Phase of the Weight-Loss Maintenance Trial
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary References
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