Obesity is a cosmetic problem, and it is associated with serious health conditions. Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and other medical problems are directly linked to being overweight. The best approach to achieve sustainable weight loss is a complete change of lifestyle. Following a new diet, taking up regular exercise and building up an emotional support system of encouraging friends and family members are all important to stay motivated and focused.
Step 1
Calculate your Body Mass Index, or BMI. Write down your weight in kgs then divide that number by your height in meters twice. Example: 84 kgs ÷ 1.84 m = 45.65 ÷ 1.84 = 24.8. Healthy BMI, as of 2009, range from 23 to 24.9 while 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight and 30 is obese. A healthy rate of weigh loss is a 1/2 to 1 kg per week.
Step 2
Eat a diet that is balanced in its combination of protein, complex carbohydrates and fat. Smaller meals spaced every three hours are preferable to large meals because they keep the metabolism high. Snack on vegetables, low-fat yogurt, cheese on whole grain crackers or a piece of fruit, which adds valuable nutrition and fiber to the diet and keeps the body’s metabolism going.
Step 3
Begin an exercise regimen, which, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, helps you lose weight. Cardiovascular exercise such as swimming, walking or bike riding are good sports for beginners. Building muscle burns off fat over time, since muscles use more calories even at rest than fatty tissue.
Tips and Warnings
- Some athletes may have a higher BMI due to the fact that muscle is heavier than fat. Measuring the waist circumference helps in determining your body fat. According to sports coach Brian McKenzie, a man’s waist circumference should not be above 94 cm; that of a woman not more than 80cm. When beginning a new exercise and diet routine, gains are likely to be very dramatic. It is possible to lose more than a kilogram of weight per week in the beginning. After about four to six months, this fast change will slow down and it may appear that the changes have come to a standstill. This is normal, so don't be discouraged. Even slow changes add up over time.
- Before starting an exercise routine, consult with your physician to make sure that no underlying health conditions are present.
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