Losing weight can be necessary to avoid myriad health consequences like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or even some types of cancer, as well as to boost self-esteem and confidence. By eating the right foods and exercising properly, your body will begin to melt the pounds while your lifestyle and energy levels improve dramatically. Weight loss is as simple as burning more calories than you consume, yet as challenging as finding the will power, knowledge, and determination to do so.
Step 1
Break your weight loss goal down into smaller, more manageable goals. Losing 70 lbs. in eight months means losing approximately 8 to 9 lbs. per month. Broken down further, you need to lose 2 lbs. a week.
Step 2
Calculate the amount of calories you need per day to maintain your current weight. Visit MayoClinic.com for a calorie calculator that will estimate your basal metabolic rate and apply it to your daily caloric needs. Find a link in the Resources section.
Step 3
Calculate the amount of calories you need to eliminate per day to lose 2 lbs. a week. One pound of body weight is approximately 3,500 calories. Therefore, you need to lose 7,000 calories to lose 2 lbs. of fat, so you must eliminate 1,000 calories a day from your daily caloric needs.
Step 4
Find ways to eliminate 1,000 calories. Start with your diet. Avoid empty calories like sugary beverages, processed foods, and fatty restaurant meals. Instead, fill up on fiber and protein to keep you full longer. Start your day with a protein-filled breakfast, like a hard boiled egg or toast and peanut butter. Eat small meals throughout the day that include both protein and fat, which takes your body longer to digest.
Step 5
Torch additional calories by exercising regularly. Say you've found a way to eliminate 600 calories from your diet one day. Now try to lose the extra 400 through your workout. Aim to work out four to six days a week. Strength training will boost your metabolism and keep you burning calories after your workout. Strength train two to three times a week and perform cardiovascular activity like brisk walking, jogging, jumping rope, or swimming, two to three times a week as well.
Step 6
Enlist in a support group and let them know what your goals are. Having a net of friends and family will keep you on track of your progress and prevent you from giving up.
Step 7
Pick one day a week to measure yourself. Make it consistent. It is best to weigh yourself in the morning before you've eaten. Keep track of your weight loss in a journal.
Tips and Warnings
- Keep a diet journal so you know exactly what's going into your body and you can track your calories easily. If you begin to plateau, change up your workout routine. After four to six weeks of the same routine, your body has adapted and it now needs to be refreshed. Every burned calorie counts, so keep your body moving. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk or bike to work, or perform body weight exercises during commercial breaks on television. When counting calories, don't forget about condiments and beverages. Calories can sneak into your diet in the form of sports drinks, sodas, mayonnaise, and salad dressings.
- Dizziness, loss of consciousness or difficulty breathing while exercising are serious conditions and exercise should stop if they occur. See a doctor before you begin a new workout program or diet.
Things You'll Need
- Weight scale
- Journal
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