In 2009, the “International Journal of Obesity” published an article by Jessica Gokee-LaRose, Ph.D., that looked at the effectiveness of weight loss programs for young adults. The results of the study showed that standard weight loss programs do not meet the needs of adults aged 18 to 35. The biggest challenge for this age group is low enrollment numbers and low attendance. Anne Collins, weight loss expert, warns that many weight loss pills on the market can be dangerous and even useless as a weight-loss tool.
Step 1
Count your calories. The American Academy of Family Physicians explains that one pound of fat is equivalent to about 3,000 calories. So to lose one pound in seven days, you only need to reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories a day. At the National Nutrient Database, you can keep track of all the calories you consume.
Step 2
Exercise every day. Burning off 500 calories daily for one week will also help you shed one pound. While you can burn 250 calories and eat 250 fewer calories to achieve the same results, the AAFP reports that burning 1,000 calories per week can slash two pounds off your frame.
Step 3
Cut highly processed snack foods out of your diet. Snack foods that are high in sugars and sodium, like packaged cookies and chips, are known as empty calories, according to Diet Bites, a website that offers weight-loss advice. Empty calories refer to foods that contain little, if any, nutritional value. These foods are high in fat and calories; they are not filling and can pack on the pounds very quickly.
Step 4
Snack on foods that make you feel full. Eat celery topped with peanut butter or non-fat cream cheese. Celery has only six calories while a tablespoon of peanut butter can have about 80 calories. Eat a lot of fiber. Fiber is a great weight loss food. Not only does it make you feel fuller longer, but it may also block the digestion of fat and protein, according to Go Ask Alice, an online health service provided by Columbia University. Foods high in fiber include raspberries, whole-wheat spaghetti, bran flakes, broccoli and peas.
Step 5
Drink water or club soda. Twenty ounces of soda, the amount the typical American drinks in one day, according to a report by ABC News, is the top source of calories in our diet. Soda is made up of 45 percent glucose, which the body turns into energy. If you do not use that energy, it’s converted into fat. Water and carbonated soda have zero calories. If you’re craving some flavor, add a wedge of lemon or lime.
Tips and Warnings
- Use a website like CalorieLab to keep track of the calories you burn during any given exercise.
- The AAFP warns that losing more than two pounds in a week means that you’re not losing excess fat but rather losing water weight.
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