Having excess weight impacts both your physical and your mental well-being. Not only can it make you feel self-conscious, but it can also lead to an increased disease risk. According to the American Cancer Society, 90,000 cancer deaths could be prevented each year if Americans could only maintain a normal, healthy body weight. If you are looking to drop a few pounds or a lot of pounds, do so by changing your habits.
Reduce Your Intake
Excess calories lead to excess pounds. To lose weight, figure out your daily intake and reduce it by 500 to 1,000 calories. Since it takes a reduction of at least 3,500 calories to lose a pound, following this plan will cause you to lose one to two pounds a week, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Nutrient-Dense Foods
Foods that are dense in nutrients are high in vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fat, preservatives, sugar and sodium. Leafy greens, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, chicken breasts, fish, lean beef, bison, beans and whole grain products are examples. Your diet should consist solely of these foods, and your should avoid empty calorie foods like deep fried chicken, doughnut holes, candy bars, ice cream and cupcakes.
Frequent Eating
Eating two to three meals spaced many hours apart not only slows down your metabolism, but can also cause you to become ravenous. When you become ravenous, you have a tendency to reach for unhealthy foods and eat an abundance of them. This certainly spells disaster when it comes to your weight loss efforts. To prevent these circumstances, eat a small meal of balanced protein and complex carbs every two to three hours through the day . Complex carbs are high in appetite-suppressing fiber.
Eat your first meal as soon as you wake in the morning. A baked tuna steak with steamed broccoli and brown rice is an example meal for late in the day.
Drinking Water
To prevent excess calorie intake, give up beverages that are high in sugar and calories like lattes, soft drinks, milk shakes, slushes and alcohol. Fill your belly with water instead. It has zero calories and can also hydrate your system. Drink water with your meals to give your stomach a full feeling.
Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise increases heart and lung strength and burns calories throughout the body. To lose weight, perform at least 30 minutes of cardio on a daily basis. You can do brisk walking, water aerobics, inline skating, jumping rope, or anything else that will get your heart rate elevated. If you do not have time to do 30 minutes consecutively, perform several shorter sessions.
Weightlifting
Lifting weights not only makes you stronger, but it also increases your resting metabolic rate. Perform exercises like bench presses, shoulder presses, back rows, triceps extensions and squats to target all of your major muscle groups. Work out two to three times a week.
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