The key to losing weight and keeping it off is making a lifestyle change. Northwestern Health Sciences University states "eating fruits and vegetables and only exercising for a few weeks or months is not enough. You have to have the dedication to incorporate these changes into your life." Make the commitment to yourself that you are ready to change, and you will have more success with your weight loss goals.
Make the Change
Step 1
Get a diet notebook. This can either be a plan spiral notebook or composition book, or a specifically designed diet notebook that helps you to keep track of times you eat, how many calories, and nutritional information such as carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber. Diet notebooks can be found in bookstores or online. The experts at the University of Maryland Medical Center assert, "Writing down what you eat forces you to be aware of just how much you're eating. Also, if you know you have to write down that piece of candy or pizza, you may not be so quick to eat it." Food journals make you more aware of what and how much you are eating and are a great tool to use for permanent weight loss.
Step 2
Assess your diet. If you are using a plan notebook, make sure to note what time it is, how many calories the meal contains, as well as carbohydrates, protein, and fat. If you are unsure of the nutritional amount of something, use an online resource such as the Calorie Counter you'll find in the Resource section. After three to four days, look at where you are getting most of your calories. You want to have a consistent proportion of 40 percent of your calories coming from carbohydrate, 30 percent coming from protein and 30 percent coming from fat.
Step 3
Eat good carbohydrates. Eat natural carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables instead of processed, high carbohydrate foods from breads and cereals. High carb foods lead to an excess of carbohydrates in the body, which than leads to the storage of fat. Make sure no more than 40 percent of your day's worth of calories comes from carbs.
Step 4
Eat lean protein. Make sure your protein is coming from lean sources, such as fish, poultry, and lean cuts of meat. The University of Maryland Medical Center also states that "Protein is an important nutrient that builds muscles and bones and gives you energy. Protein also helps with weight control because it helps you feel full and satisfied from your meals."
Step 5
Eat good fats. Fat is important for your body, but you must eat the good kinds of fat. The Harvard School of Public Health states, "The 'bad' fats---saturated and trans fats---increase the risk for certain diseases. The 'good' fats---monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats---lower disease risk. The key to a healthy diet is to substitute good fats for bad fats---and to avoid trans fats." Healthy fats are found in avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
Step 6
Eat often. Eating three moderate-sized meals plus two small healthy snacks helps to prevent overeating at the next meal time and mindless snacking.
Step 7
Exercise. No weight loss plan is efficient without exercise. Mix up activities throughout the week, whether it is walking, jogging or group classes, and make sure to include strength training. The American Council on Exercise states, "Strength training favorably affects an individual's overall body composition, resulting in a greater proportion of lean tissue relative to fat tissue. This training adaptation helps to enhance both functional performance capabilities and physical appearance." One pound equals 3,500 calories a day. So, through exercise alone, burning 500 extra calories a day leads to one pound of weight loss a week. Couple this with a natural, healthy diet and you will be well on your way to losing the weight.
Tips and Warnings
- Start by making small short-term goals. It can be to workout three times a week or to lose six pounds by month one. Short term goals help to keep you focused on the long term goal.
- Consult a doctor or physician before beginning any new diet or exercise regimen.
Things You'll Need
- Notebook
- Pen
References
- Program of Northwestern Health Sciences University: Losing that Weight
- The University of Maryland Medical Center: Common Sense Strategies to Long-term Weight Loss
- The University of Maryland Medical Center: Step 6: Lose Weight and Follow the Right Diet
- The Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol, The Bottom Line
- American Council on Exercise: One of the more common perceptions in some fitness circles is that strength training individuals lose weight because one pound of muscle can burn approximately 30-50 calories per day. Is this claim valid?
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