To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. One lb. is equivalent to 3,500 calories---so trimming about 500 calories per day will result in a loss of 1 lb. per week. While this seems simple, cravings and temptations derail your efforts to eat more, and fatigue and personal obligations interfere with your intentions to exercise. Specific strategies can help you overcome these obstacles, and help you maintain your resolve so you can lose weight.
Start Diary
Keep a food diary to lose almost twice as much weight, reports a study published in the "Journal of Preventive Medicine" from August 2008. Keeping track of your food intake makes you more aware of your choices and emotional eating triggers. A journal may be kept online at a site, such as Livestrong's The Daily Plate, or as informally as a series of sticky notes tacked up on your fridge.
More Protein
Consuming a diet higher in protein makes you feel full longer, increases the calories burned by digestion and reduces cravings, according to a study in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" in 2004. The Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference guidelines acknowledge that you can eat as much as 35 percent of your daily calories in the form of protein. Go for lean sources, such as poultry, fish, lean cuts of beef and soy, to keep calories and saturated fat in check.
Less Sugar
The American Heart Association reports that Americans, on average, consume about 355 extra calories daily in the form of added sugars. These are sugars not naturally present in food. Many flavored yogurts, soda and even salad dressings, soups and pasta sauces contain unnecessary corn syrup, cane sugar and honey.
Moderate Alcohol
Alcohol provides no nutrition and can pad your diet with a lot of excess calories, especially if you prefer fruity mixed drinks. Overindulging can also make it challenging to resist high-calorie temptations. If you choose to drink, stick to a single glass of wine or a light beer.
Enjoy Soup
A cup of soup consumed before your main meal helps to reduce your appetite. A 2008 study published in "Appetite" found that people ate 20 percent less at a meal preceded by soup. Stick to clear soups, including vegetable or chicken noodle, to keep calories under control.
Move
The more you move all day long, the better your chances of losing weight reports a 2005 article in "The New York Times." Non-exercise thermogensis, or NEAT, can account for an extra 350 calories per day in lean people. Simple activity, including choosing the stairs over the elevator, getting off the bus a stop earlier, parking farther out in the lot and pacing while on the phone help contribute to your calorie deficit---facilitating weight loss.
Eliminate Liquid Calories
The calories you drink do not make you feel full, but when enjoyed in excess, they do make your body pile on the pounds. Give up on soda, juice, energy drinks and fancy coffees. Drink water, unsweetened tea or coffee instead. If you need flavor---enjoy sparkling water with a splash of 100 percent juice.
Have Breakfast
Be like the successful weight loss subjects participating in the National Weight Control Registry and eat a balanced breakfast everyday. Eating within a few hours of waking revs your metabolism first thing and prevents overeating at subsequent meals. Choose oatmeal with berries, a banana and a handful of nuts or eggs and whole grain toast for optimal nutrition and satiation.
Snack on Almonds
Instead of reaching for blood sugar-spiking crackers or chips, snack on almonds. Purdue University researchers found that snacking on up to 3 oz. of almonds a day does not contribute to weight gain and may help you feel less hungry overall. Their findings, published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2007, also note that almonds' calories do not seem to be completely absorbed by the body.
Eat Dairy
Include more dairy in your low calorie diet. A 2009 study out of the Curtin University School of Public Health showed that in just 12 weeks, dieters who ate five daily servings of dairy lost more weight and body fat than dieters eating three daily servings.
References
- The New York Times: The Lean and the Restless; Denise Grady; 2005
- Appetite: Soup Preloads in a Variety of Forms Reduce Meal Energy Intake.
- Obesity Research: Long-term Weight Loss and Breakfast in Subjects in the National Weight Control Registry.
- Journal of Preventive Medicine: Weight Loss During the Intensive Intervention Phase of the Weight-Loss Maintenance Trial
- American Heart Association: Association Recommends Americans Cut Intake of Added Sugars
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