Six Ways To Help Women Lose Weight

Many women who lose weight can end up putting the pounds back on if they go on diets that are too restrictive. It is possible for women to avoid weight cycling by making healthy eating habits and regular exercise part of a permanent lifestyle shift. Learning six of the most effective ways to lose weight can help women attain and maintain their fitness goals.

1. Elevate Metabolic Rate

Women can lose weight if their metabolisms start running more efficiently. One of the best ways to rev the metabolism is to eat frequently. Meals and snacks should be spaced three to four hours apart so more fat and calories can be burned throughout the day. People who eat smaller meals more frequently are 45 percent more likely to avoid obesity than their "three square meals a day" counterparts, reports a study by the University of Massachusetts Medical School published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" on July 1, 2003.

2. Count Calories

By learning how to burn calories and being aware that eating too few calories can actually sabotage a diet, women can successfully lose weight. Fitness guru Jackie Warner, a consultant for "Oxygen" fitness magazine, recommends never eating under 1,200 calories a day. She explains that crash dieting slows the metabolism by 20 percent and can ultimately lead to putting pounds back on. Conversely, if women eat more calories than their bodies use, the extra calories will be stored as body fat. A pound of fat is equivalent to about 3,500 calories. To lose 1 lb. of fat in a week, a woman would have to eat 500 less calories than she expends in a day.

3. Eat Healthy Foods

To lose weight, women should eat nutrient-dense, healthy "superfoods," according to Tosca Reno, author of "The Eat-Clean Diet." She recommends grocery lists should include oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, egg whites, turkey or chicken breast, water-packed tuna, wild salmon, beans, low-fat yogurt or cheese, green vegetables, berries, nuts and seeds.

4. Be Portion Conscious

Women can lose weight by reducing portion sizes. Most meals should be composed of 1 to 2 oz. of lean protein, 2 to 3 oz. of whole grains and 1 to 2 cups of fruits or vegetables. It's important to keep in mind that although a woman may be eating a lean protein, what's not used for muscle growth and repair can end up as fat if she consumes more than her body needs, according to a study by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston published in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" in 2009.

5. Supress Hunger

Many women who feel starved often overeat---but high-fiber foods such as oatmeal, whole-grain breads, fruits and vegetables can help produce satiety, curb cravings and promote weight loss. A study published on Jan. 21, 2009, in "The Journal of Nutrition" found that increasing total fiber intake reduces the risk of weight and fat gains in women.
Eating healthy fats can also help women lose weight by suppressing hunger and creating a faster metabolic rate. Unsaturated fat sources that the body can burn for fuel instead of storing as fat include wild salmon, nuts, avocados, olives and flaxseed.

6. Exercise Regularly

One of the best ways for women to lose weight is to combine a healthy diet with regular, moderate-intensity exercise. A University of Alabama study published in the research journal "Obesity" in 2009 found that doing only 80 minutes of aerobics or weight training per week prevented abdominal fat gain one year after a weight-loss program while those who stopped exercising increased abdominal fat by 33 percent.