Once upon a time, losing weight was all about eating less and exercising more. Then diets became a huge business, and everybody started cutting fat, eliminating carbs or going on extreme plans to lose weight. According to MayoClinic.com, however, the best way to lose weight is slow and steady, at a rate of one to two pounds per week. By adjusting your dietary habits and increasing your activity, you can lose weight the old-fashioned way.
Step 1
Count calories. If you reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories per day, you will lose a pound a week. The easiest way to count calories is to keep a food diary. Write down everything you eat and drink beside water. At the end of each day, add up the calories you consumed. Or use an online diet journal to do the calculations for you.
Step 2
Eliminate 500 calories from your diet every day. You can do this easily by cutting out fast food, high-fat snacks such as potato chips and pastries, and sweets. A plain doughnut contains 140 calories, while a bagel has 216. A can of soda contains about 140 calories. Cut a few of these items out, and you'll easily get to 500 calories.
Step 3
Eat only when you're hungry. If you're eating out of boredom, stress or depression, start looking for other ways to deal with your emotions. Exercise is a good stress reducer, and you'll burn calories at the same time. Meditate or do yoga to slow down your mind. Get out of the house if you're tempted to raid the cupboards, and get a pedicure or go to the movies.
Step 4
Exercise regularly, or increase your intensity if you're already active. Going for a walk can be an effective form of exercise if you do it every day. Take up a sport such as soccer or softball if you don't want to join a gym. Play with your kids, or gather a few friends and form your own league.
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