The Harvard Medical School reports that out of every three Americans, approximately two are overweight. Unhealthy weight can increase your risk of numerous diseases and also affect your day-to-day lifestyle by limiting the activities you can enjoy. Improve your health with several tips that can help make the weight-loss journey a little easier.
Cut the Calories
Reducing the number of calories you consume is one of the most traditional, basic methods of losing weight, but it's effective. The National Institutes of Health report that you must eat 3,500 less calories every week to lose one pound weekly. Though it may sound daunting, splitting it up into days--500 calories less per day--makes it seem much more achievable.
Avoid Fad Diets
Every year, new fad diets hit the market and promise miracle results. Don't fall for them, warns the Harvard School of Public Health, as they're often unhealthy and don't sustain long-term weight loss. Talk to a dietitian or doctor about healthy, balanced diets that can help you lose weight. A responsible and safe weight-loss diet shouldn't ban specific food groups or foods and should promise slow or moderate weight loss, not drastic results, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Time Your Meals
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology advises eating your biggest meals during lunch or breakfast so your body has all day to burn it off. When you do eat, MIT says to focus on fiber-rich foods. Such foods take a longer time to digest and keep you feeling full longer, thus helping you reduce how much you eat in a day.
Set Rewards
Weight loss shouldn't be about punishing yourself or making your body suffer. Creating a reward can make it easier and more enjoyable to attain your weight-loss goals or follow your weight-loss regimen. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends setting a goal for a notable benchmark. If you reach your goal, the department says to give yourself something you love, like a movie or an afternoon excursion--anything but a food reward.
Don't Drink Sweet Drinks
Sugary soft drinks and even fruit juice are high in calories. The Harvard School of Public Health warns that drinking such beverages can quickly add calories to your daily intake without you noticing it.
Eat Breakfast
After you've slept, your body has been deprived of food for several hours and has slowed down its metabolic system. Jump-start your metabolism with breakfast to get the metabolic system running again, says MIT. Skipping this meal will only make your metabolism even slower.
Try a Pill
Several prescription pills, such as orlistat or sibutramine, can help you achieve your weight-loss goals, according to the Oregon Health & Science University. These work by reducing how your body metabolizes fat or tricking your brain so you don't feel hungry as often. Discuss your weight-loss plans with your doctor to see if such medications are right for you.
References
- Harvard Medical School: Lose Weight and Keep It Off
- National Institutes of Health: Tips for Losing Weight
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight-Loss Program
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Weight Loss
- Harvard School of Public Health: Getting to a Healthy Weight
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