Making the decision to lose 50 pounds can be very easy, especially if your health relies on shedding that extra weight. Actually losing that much weight, however, is not always so easy. Losing 50 pounds requires determination and focus as well as discipline and willpower. You also need to be willing to make some changes in your lifestyle, especially in regard to food and exercise. Once your mission is accomplished, your body will thank you for it.
Step 1
Set a time line to drop your 50 pounds. A healthy rate of weight loss is one to two pounds per week, so your ideal time line for losing 50 pounds should range from 25 to 50 weeks.
Step 2
Exercise. If you are not already active, you can start gently by taking a half-hour walk three to four times a week. And if you exercise regularly, you can increase your calories burned by adding resistance--such as using ankle or wrist weights--or lengthening your workout by 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 3
Reduce the number of calories you consume. This doesn't mean you have to diet, per se, but you can switch around the foods you eat to drop your caloric intake. Don't deprive yourself of your favorite foods. Instead, minimize the unhealthy foods that you can't resist. For instance, instead of eating two slices of pizza for dinner, you can have a slice of pizza and a side salad. Avoiding your favorite foods altogether will make you more likely to binge and gain rather than lose weight.
If you make changes in food and exercise, but are still not losing weight, you may need to cut a few more calories or exercise a bit more. And if cutting more calories and increasing exercise don't work, visit your doctor to screen out other health issues that may prevent you from losing weight.
Step 4
Monitor your weight loss. If you find yourself losing weight too quickly or not losing weight at all, adjust your routine appropriately so you can stay within that one to two pound per week range. If you are losing weight too fast, adjust your calories and exercise routines; dropping pounds too fast makes the loss less likely to last long-term.
Step 5
Maintain your goal weight. Once you lose those 50 pounds, it is far easier to keep that weight off than it is to gain it back--even in part--and have to lose it again. Stay motivated. Enlist your family and friends to help keep you on track; their support will help greatly. You can also keep reminders, such as pictures or clothing, around your home.
Tips and Warnings
- Keep a journal of the exercises you do and foods you eat. You can look back at the journal with a sense of accomplishment as you achieve new exercise goals and eat healthier foods. You can also track your weight in this journal, setting up an additional source for a feeling of accomplishment.
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