Keys To Successful Weight Loss

When you make a commitment to lose weight, you choose to improve the quality of your life and health. Successful weight loss involves losing weight, then keeping it off for your lifetime. The keys to success are simple changes in your eating and exercise habits that allow you to reap many rewards.

Benefits

While you might choose to lose weight for a single reason, such as combating health problems or improving your appearance, be prepared for other benefits. Carrying less weight will improve your energy levels and appearance while keeping you healthy. It also improves your quality of life and can save money you would otherwise spend on doctors and prescriptions.

Components for Success

The keys to weight loss success are lifestyle changes, rather than fad diets. Womenshealth.gov warns that to lose weight successfully, you must burn more calories than you consume. To do this, you must change your lifestyle to reduce the number of calories you eat daily, exercise more or implement a combination of both.

Tools

Because people tend to underestimate the number of calories consumed, the American Cancer Society advises keeping a food diary as a powerful key to losing weight. It cites a study performed by Kaiser Permanente, which noted that people who kept food diaries over a six-month period lost twice the weight of their peers who did not keep a diary.

Joining a group of like-minded people is also a key to success. For example, the American Heart Association identified a church-based group that supported 35 obese African-American men and women during a diabetes prevention program. Over three months, 16 participants lost at least 5 percent of their body weight, and 11 of these people kept their weight off for at least six months.

Expert Advice

Keep your lifestyle changes simple. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recommends setting weight loss goals that are specific, attainable and less than perfect. For example, rather than setting a general goal to eat less, you might commit to eating five servings of fruit and vegetables at least five days each week. The fiber content of vegetables and fruit makes you feel fuller, helping you eat less. Your goal is specific, do-able and allows you to achieve it without being perfect.

The Weight-control Information Network advises eating a variety of healthy foods to satisfy your taste buds, keep your nutrient intake high and provide enough calories to maintain your energy levels. For your exercise plan, choose activities that you enjoy. Having fun when you exercise makes the activity one that you look forward to, rather than dread.

Warning

To achieve success in weight loss, use your doctor as a sounding board. She can advise you on healthy dietary changes and safe exercises for your current health condition and level of ability. She can also monitor your medications and make adjustments as your health improves.