Steps To Losing Weight At Home

In order to lose weight at home, you'll need to set goals for total pounds you want to lose, determine how often and for how long you can exercise, figure out what exercise equipment and options you have, and learn the correct techniques for performing your workouts to maximize calorie burning and minimize injury. Once you have these steps in place, all that's left is your willingness to stick to your program for you to lose those extra pounds.

Goal Setting

Stay motivated by setting achievable goals. Set several short- and long-term goals to give you confidence as you meet initial weight-loss numbers or complete a timed workout. Women should set a goal of 1 to 2 pounds per week maximum, with men aiming for 2 to 3 pounds per week, according to registered dietitian Page Love, owner of NutriFit Sports Therapy. In order to lose 1 pound, you'll need to burn 3,500 calories more than you eat, according to MayoClinic.com. Creating a 500-calorie deficit per day results in 1 pound of weight lost per week. Calculate your target heart rate for aerobic exercise using one of the many free online heart rate calculators available, and set a goal of building your cardiovascular stamina to the point that you can perform aerobic exercise for weight loss.

Diet Planning

As part of a weight-loss program, track the number of calories you eat each day to ensure you meet your calorie deficit. Use nutrition labels to plan daily menus, and online tools such as LiveStrong's My Plate to calculate the calories in fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs and servings of meat, fish and poultry.

Calculate Calories Burned

Use a heart rate monitor to track how many calories you burn during your workouts. This number will help you plan your menus to create your daily calorie deficit. If you won't have access to a heart rate monitor, perform online research to determine how many calories you will burn performing a particular exercise for a specific length of time. For example, MayoClinic.com provides a chart with calories burned in one hour for people of different weights. A 200-pound person will burn 455 calories during an hour of high-impact aerobics, while a 160-pound person will burn 730 calories jumping rope.

Create a Workout Program

Decide whether you will use dumbbells or resistance bands, perform body-weight exercise such as push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups, follow along with an aerobic DVD or TV show or use an exercise machine like a treadmill. Research the correct technique for performing exercises or using a piece of equipment. Set a schedule, including time of day, length of each workout and what days you will exercise.

Work Out

Start each workout with a warm-up that gradually raises your heart rate and blood circulation over several minutes. Use moderately intense muscle movements such as jogging in place or arm swings. Perform your workout, starting slowly if you are new to exercise and keeping an intensity you can maintain for 30 minutes or longer as you build stamina the first two weeks. The American Heart Association suggests 60 to 90 minutes per week of cardio exercise, several times per week, to lose weight. Check your heart rate monitor to stay in your target heart range. If you don't have a monitor, talk during your exercise--if you can't talk, you're working too hard. Cool down at the end of each workout by gradually slowing your movements down as your heart rate declines. Stretch afterward, to prevent muscle stiffness and soreness and improve flexibility, suggests performance coach Brian Mac.