If you are overweight, you increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease. To lose weight, you must burn more calories through physical activity and consume less calories from food and beverages. A combination of diet and exercise is the best way to achieve this. A healthy rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week, a rate that will help you keep the weight off, states the American Council on Exercise. Permanent weight loss requires a commitment to long-term healthy lifestyle changes.
Reduce Calorie Intake
There are 3,500 calories in 1 pound of fat. To lose 1 pound of fat per week, cut 500 calories from your diet each day, suggests Helpguide.org. Reducing calorie intake requires making healthy food choices, not starving yourself. Base your meals on vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy and fruit. Vegetables, whole wheat bread and brown rice are high in fiber and will keep you fuller for longer. When preparing meals, reduce your portion sizes by 10 percent to 15 percent, notes the American Council on Exercise.
Exercise
Increase the amount of structured exercise you do, such as running, swimming, cycling or aerobics. Alternatively, consider ways of fitting more exercise into your daily routine, including vigorous housework, gardening, shopping, and using stairs instead of elevators. Exercise for only 10 minutes at a time if exercising for longer is difficult. Increase your activity sessions by 10 percent each week, aiming for between 30 and 60 minutes of exercise on most days, says the Mayo Clinic website.
Healthy Habits
Adopting healthy habits, as suggested by Helpguide.org, will help you to lose weight. Eat only when you are hungry, and stop eating when you are full, even if your plate is not clear. Eating from smaller plates and bowls makes it easier to serve yourself smaller portions. Boost your metabolism by eating breakfast and having six small meals throughout the day, rather than three large ones. Eat slowly and chew your food properly. Do some squats or sit-ups while you are watching television.
Medications
Prescription weight-loss medications are available for people who weigh at least 20 percent more than their ideal weight. Diethylpropion, benzphetamine, phendimetrazine, phentermine, mazindol and sibutramine work by reducing your appetite, while orlistat reduces the amount of fat you digest from your food. Weight-loss medications can have side effects, such as constipation, diarrhea, headaches, a dry mouth and sleeping difficulties, notes Familydoctor.org.
Surgery
Weight-loss surgery is an option if you are morbidly obese and your weight is causing health problems. Part of your stomach may be surgically closed off so you can only eat small portions of food. Food can also be made to bypass parts of your intestine so you absorb fewer calories. Surgery is conducive to long-term weight loss, but there are risks. Nausea, vomiting, malnutrition, stomach ulcers, gallstones, a blocked intestine and ruptured stomach are possible side-effects of surgery, warns the University of Maryland Medical Center.
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