How to Lose Weight Without Pills or Special Diets

How to Lose Weight Without Pills or Special Diets
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So you just saw a commercial with a celebrity praising the latest weight loss product as her method of dropping six sizes in eight weeks. Using pill or special diets may get you fast results, but they don't fix the root of the problem. If you still have unhealthy eating habits after you stop a fad diet, you can easily gain the weight back. The process of losing weight requires the creation of a calorie deficit, meaning that you burn more calories than you consume. Regardless of how you gained it, you can lose the weight quickly by using healthy methods that provide lasting results.

Step 1

Set a short-term weight loss goal. Write down the amount of weight you want to lose over the course of one month. Post your goal someplace where you can see it on a daily basis to serve as positive reinforcement.

Step 2

Recruit a support system. Tell your friends and family about your weight loss efforts and ask them to help you stay on track, suggests MayoClinic.com. Ask them to make healthy dishes for you at parties or family gatherings.

Step 3

Decrease your daily calories. Record everything you eat daily using an online weight management tool like LIVESTRONG's MyPlate or TheDailyPlate.com. Track your calories for a week to see how many you consume on average. Subtract 500 calories from your average to set a goal for daily calorie consumption to lose about one pound per week, notes MayoClinic.com.

Step 4

Exercise three to five days per week. Train with resistance three days per week using exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges, pull-ups, and crunches for four sets of 15 to 20 repetitions to help build muscle. Do 30 minutes of moderate intensity cardio, like walking on the treadmill at an incline, at least three days a week to burn fat.

Step 5

Eat natural foods like oatmeal, whole grain breads and pastas, fish, lean steak, chicken, fruits and vegetables to increase your energy and decrease your daily calories. Consuming foods in their most natural state keeps you feeling fuller with fewer calories.

References

Article reviewed by SPEstes Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

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