Deciding to lose weight while you are in your twenties is one of the healthiest decisions you can make. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and National Institute of Health reports that maintaining a healthy weight prevents the onset of various diseases and health risks. Taking charge of your health in your twenties will make it easier to maintain your health for years to come.
The Basics
You need to know that your body needs calories from food for energy. When your body uses less calories than you have consumed, due to lack of movement or overeating, your body will have excess calories. The extra calories are stored by your body. This causes weight gain. When you use more energy than you have consumed through food, your body will rely on the stored calories to function and you will lose weight. In order to gain 1 lb. or lose 1 lb. you have to store or burn an excess of 3,500 calories.
Dieting
You lose weight by burning an excess of calories. You accomplish this by taking in fewer calories from food and drinks so your body reaches for the stored calories sooner. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you lose only 1 to 2 lbs. a week. Only reduce your intake by 500 to 1,000 calories a day. Learning to control portion sizes is just one way to eat fewer calories. Many times you can reduce calories by eating healthier food options that have less calories rather than less food. While you need to control your calories, do not eliminate specific food groups such as fats and carbs. Your body needs them. Instead, eat monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive oil and fish and complex carbs found in whole wheat breads and pastas.
Exercising
Exercising will help you lose weight and feel great in your twenties. It may not be necessary if you can gain control of your diet, but it will help you reach your weight-loss goals faster with the added benefit of a strong healthy body. Exercising is responsible for increasing muscle mass, bone density and building a stronger cardiorespiratory system. Perform the exercises you enjoy such as running, biking, walking, playing sports or weight lifting. Remember, at rest muscle burns more calories than fat and takes up less space. For this reason do not limit your exercise to cardio activities such as biking or running, incorporate muscle building exercises such as weight lifting.
Lifestyle Choices
Many 20-year-olds are still going out regularly to bars, BBQs and sporting events. All of which serve alcoholic drinks. While socializing is a healthy part of being twenty-something, drinking alcohol is contradictory to weight loss. A few high-calorie alcoholic drinks a weekend can throw your hard work at the gym out the window. For example, College Drinking: Changing the Culture reports that a regular beer has an average of 149 calories. It only takes six beers a week to reach 3,567 calories in one month. That is a little more than 1 lb. of calories and would add up to 12 lbs. over a year. Liqueurs such as Drambuie, Cointreau and Kahlua pack a solid 188 calories alone. When you add juices, milk or sodas to make drinks you are adding more unnecessary calories to your diet.
Family Friendly Weight Losss
Although many 20-year-olds are out partying, just as many are getting married and having children. Some are doing both. This makes it more challenging to find time for weight-loss routines, but the reality is that you can do both--take care of your family and lose weight, but it will require planning and dedication. Start by scheduling weekly workout routines and meals. Multitask by walking your kids to school or with them after you get off of work. This is a way to mix your weight-loss routine with family time. Pack a healthy lunch for yourself while you pack your kids' lunches.
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