Being 10 lbs. overweight for your height and age may not seem like a big deal, but it can have a major impact on your health. According to Reuters Health, researchers found that people who were overweight were 22 percent more likely to suffer an ischemic stroke than normal weight people, while the risk for obese people was 64 percent higher. If you have an extra 10 lbs. to shed, make lifestyle changes to get rid of it and to reduce your stroke risk.
Reduce Your Calories
For a full week, track all calories you consume in the form of food and liquids, then add all the daily totals together. Divide this number by seven to get a daily average intake and reduce it by 500 calories. According to MayoClinic.com, if you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you will lose about 1 lb. a week.
Eat Frequently
When you reduce your calories and wait long periods of time between meals, you risk becoming hungry and overeating. To prevent this from happening, eat small meals every two to three hours throughout the day. Create meals that are balanced with protein and complex carbs and only eat foods that are nutrient dense, like lean meats, low-fat dairy, fish, whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. A whole wheat pita stuffed with turkey breast, lettuce, tomato and mustard is a meal example.
Drink More Water
If you clean up your eating habits and neglect your intake of liquid calories, you will slow down your progress. Beverages like milk shakes, slushies, processed fruit drinks, soda, sweetened teas and alcohol contribute a high amount of calories to your diet. Giving up a 20 oz. bottle of soda a day will save you 240 calories. That's nearly half of your reduction goal. Drink calorie-free water instead.
Burn Fat with Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise improves aerobic capacity and also creates a more slender body. That's because all forms of cardio burn high amounts of calories. Perform any type of cardio that you find enjoyable, such as running, power walking, biking, swimming, elliptical training or inline skating. By adding cardio into your schedule, you will promote weight loss even faster. A 200-lb. person burns over 450 calories with 60 minutes of walking at 4 mph. If you did this every day in conjunction with your caloric decrease, you would lose 10 lbs. in just over five weeks. If you do not have time to fit 60 minutes of exercise into your day, perform it in smaller sessions. It's still effective.
Lift Weights
By adding more muscle to your body, you will increase your resting metabolic rate and burn more calories when you are not moving. Perform exercises that target all of your major muscle groups like push-ups, shoulder presses, bent-over rows, triceps dips, curls and squats.
Monitor Your Progress
At the end of every week, step on the scale to check your weight. If you are losing, keep doing what you're doing. If you are not, slightly decrease your calories and slightly increase your cardio duration or intensity. Continue to check every week to make sure you are consistently losing weight. Also pay attention to other signs of weight loss, like your pants are looser and your shirts are baggier.
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