Losing weight is about calories in versus calories out. Consume fewer calories than you expend and weight loss will occur. While this formula seems simple, your body does not always cooperate with your efforts. You may think you are doing everything possible to lose weight, yet the pounds will not budge. Being fully informed about the weight-loss process will help you to adopt the best strategies to reach your goal.
Slow is Best
While you may crave fast results, losing weight at a rate of one or two pounds per week is safer and more realistic than crash dieting. Aim to burn about 500 calories more per day than you consume to lose one pound a week.
Any Diet Works
You do not have to follow the latest fad diet to succeed in losing weight. Researchers from Harvard University found, after comparing several diets offering various ratios of fat, carbohydrates and protein, that a diet works as long as it reduces calories. Their findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2009, means that you can choose a diet that fits your lifestyle and personal preferences and still succeed if you keep your calories below your burn level.
Sugar Counts
Americans eat too much added sugar, according to the American Heart Association. On average, they consume about 355 extra daily calories in the form of corn syrup, cane sugar, honey and other sweeteners. If you read your food labels and shun products listing any added sugar in the first few ingredients, you may lose more than 35 lbs. in a year.
Set Small Goals
Do not become overwhelmed by a large weight loss goal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that a 5 percent to 10 percent weight loss is enough to cause improvements in health.
Move All Day
While you may spend your 30 minutes trudging away on the treadmill, if you fail to move around for the rest of the day you still will have trouble losing weight. Your daily metabolism is affected by your physical activity. The more you move, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to create a calorie deficit and lose weight. Walk your dog twice a day, take the stairs, pace while on the phone, plant a garden or clean your house.
Too Low
Eating less than 1,200 calories as a woman or 1,500 as a man may cause nutritional deficiencies and a slowing down of your metabolism. Mayoclinic.com writes that starving yourself can cause your body to compensate by conserving energy and holding onto calories for survival. As a result, eating too little actually stalls weight loss.
Television Affects Your Weight
The Harvard School of Public Health recommends turning off the television as a way to lose weight. Watching television usually means you are not participating in more active, calorie-burning pursuits. Sixty-two percent of the members of the National Weight Control Registry---a group of more than 5,000 people who have successfully maintained significant weight loss---report watching less than 10 hours of TV per week.
Don't Fear Fat
While fat is calorically dense, not all types are bad for you. Heart-healthy fats found in nuts, plant oils and avocados actually help you feel satisfied so that you eat less overall. The American Heart Association reports that these monounsaturated fats may help lower your blood cholesterol levels---leading to better health---when used in lieu of saturated and trans fats. Keep your intake to between 25 and 30 percent of daily calories.
Strength Train
If you choose calorie-burning cardio at the expense of training with weights, think again. Weight training helps you build lean muscle mass, which burns more calories when you are at rest than does fat tissue. Having a greater percentage of lean muscle means weight management is easier.
Portions Count
Even if your diet consists of primarily healthful foods like lean proteins, whole grains and fresh produce, you may not lose weight. Over eating any food hinders weight loss. Be sure you portion out your foods, sticking to three or four ounces of protein and a half cup of starches and whole grains at most meals.
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