You've been meaning to get a grip on your diet. You swear you're going to start finding time to exercise. And you need to drop some pounds. But starting a plan to eat healthier, work out and lose weight requires one important thing: discipline. The first step toward increasing your physical well-being is the desire to do it. Come up with a plan to change your life and begin implementing changes slowly to help ensure success. You'll find that by choosing the right foods, exercising and living a healthy lifestyle, not only will you look and feel better but you will reduce your risk of illness.
Make a plan
Step 1
Examine your diet. Determine if you're eating the rights types of foods in the right amounts. Consult food pyramids to make sure you're following the guidelines for smaller amounts of fats and sweets, moderate amounts of carbohydrates and proteins and larger amounts of fruits and vegetables.
Step 2
Limit your intake of caffeine, alcoholic beverages, sodas and sugary drinks. Substitute healthy plant fats, such as monounsaturated fats and Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, for saturated and trans fats. Include plenty of water in your diet.
Step 3
Come up with an appealing exercise plan that will get you moving from sedentary to active. Check with your doctor first if you have existing health conditions. Look for exercise programs that include strength training, aerobic conditioning and flexibility exercises.
Step 4
Go slowly at first. Include stretching, warm-up and cool-down periods. Make it fun, so you'll be inclined to continue. Choose activities that can be done indoors and outdoors, so you won't have an excuse when it's bad weather. Aim for at least 30 minutes a day of physical activity, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Step 5
Track the numbers of calories you consume daily. Control portion sizes to help cut calories. Consume fewer calories to shed pounds.
Step 6
Because one pound of body fat equals 3,500 calories, to lose one pound a week, you need to cut 500 calories a day from your diet. Achieve the same goal by eating 250 fewer calories a day and burning an extra 250 calories through physical activity. Find the right combination that works for your weight-loss goal.
Tips and Warnings
- Keeping a daily journal of your food and exercise will help you stay on track. Don't stop your healthy-living program once you have met your goals. Stick with the plan.
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