It is easy to gain weight without realizing it. If you are not physically active, you can gain 10 pounds in a year just by eating 200 extra calories a day. That amount is easily found in one coffee drink from a chain coffee shop or a small order of French fries. The remedy is not radical: counting calories, eating a well-rounded diet and getting regular exercise will help you lose the last six to 10 pounds. This last plateau is generally the hardest to lose, as the body has a certain set weight to which it is accustomed.
Figure Your Daily Calories
Step 1
Determine how many calories you can trim from your daily diet. To lose one pound, you must trim 3,500 calories. That might mean slicing 500 calories per day to lose a pound in seven days.
The US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) recommends eating a widely varying diet that includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains such as brown rice, millet, quinoa and oats, lean proteins, low-fat dairy foods and non-saturated fats. They publish a nutritional guideline called "My Food Pyramid" that outlines how much of each food group is recommended.
Step 2
Eat non-saturated fats as recommended by the USDA. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature: beef, pork, poultry fat and butter are examples. The exception is fish fat. The American Cancer Society states that consuming saturated fats increase the likelihood of developing high blood pressure, heart disease and certain cancers.
Non-saturated fats are heart-healthy and will not add inches to your waist or hips. These include olive, safflower, canola, hemp and flax seed oils.
Cook in ways that do not include frying foods. Instead, bake, steam or broil. Frying foods in a deep vat of oil produces heart-harmful trans-fat.
Step 3
Exercise every day to boost metabolism, which means you are burning more calories and losing more weight. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a healthy adult needs at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, five days a week. That could also be 20 minutes of vigorous exercise and two sessions of resistance training.
Do both for the best results: cardio keeps your heart muscle strong, and weight-lifting builds lean muscle mass to burn more calories. Newbies might consider walking for 10 minutes twice a day.
Things You'll Need
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole Grains
- Non-saturated Oils
Member Comments