Losing weight requires you to burn more calories than you consume. Drinking water and eating right make this process easier by helping you feel full and maximizing the nutrition of the calories you do eat. In addition to these strategies, add in exercise for the most well-rounded and effective weight loss prescription.
Weight Loss Basics
A pound of weight is equal to 3,500 calories, so to lose one pound in a week, you must eat about 500 fewer calories than you burn in a day. Cutting back on portion sizes and choosing healthy, low-calorie versions of foods can help you achieve this deficit. While low calories yield weight loss, dipping below 1,200 calories per day as a woman or 1,500 per day as a man is not recommended by MedLine Plus. You will be unable to fulfill all your nutritional needs and may become uncontrollably hungry so that adhering to your plan is almost impossible.
Water's Role in Weight Loss
Water is the drink of choice for any healthy diet. It contains no calories and helps keep your digestive system running smoothly, preventing bloating or constipation which can make you feel fat. It aids in the transport of nutrients throughout the body and the removal of toxins from weight loss from your system. If you become dehydrated, you usually become fatigued--making calorie-burning physical activity more challenging. Your metabolism more efficiently burns fat when you are fully hydrated, reports CaloriesperHour.com.
Healthy Diet Advantages
If you create a negative calorie balance, you will lose weight--regardless of foods' nutritional quality. However, a low-calorie diet full of junk food provides little in the way of nutrients or volume, meaning you will probably lack energy, a healthy demeanor and will lose muscle. A healthy diet supports weight loss by allowing you to eat hearty amounts of food that satisfy your appetite without feelings of deprivation and weakness.
Strategy
Make your diet healthier by becoming aware of your daily food choices. Switch from full-fat dairy to low- or nonfat varieties. Snack on fresh fruit instead of items from the office vending machine. Replace sodas and other sugary drinks with water. Ditch foods high in saturated fats such as butter, bacon and cheese, as well as foods high in trans fats, such as commercially fried foods and snacks with "partially hydrogenated" on the ingredient list.
Considerations
A healthy diet and water intake are important components of a practical and successful weight loss plan. In addition, try to boost your daily physical activity to increase your overall calorie burn and hasten your weight loss. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least an hour of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise to be performed five days per week for people seeking to lose weight. Try a brisk walk, jogging, cycling or dancing to meet these recommendations. You may find that exercise comes more easily once you incorporate healthy foods into your diet and hydrate properly.
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