Healthy weight loss is a slow process that requires balancing the number of calories consumed with the number of calories burned. A nutritious, low-calorie diet combined with a regular exercise routine decreases the number of calories consumed and increases the number of calories burned, promoting weight loss. The number of calories that should be cut from the daily diet depends on age, physical activity and current diet.
Calories
Calories are found in all foods and are responsible for providing the body with the fuel it needs to meet the body's daily energy demands. The calories that are not immediately converted into physical energy are stored in the body as fat until they are needed for fuel. For those trying to lose weight, consuming fewer calories and increasing levels of physical activity, forces the body to utilized stored calories for energy. The average person needs to consume about 2,000 calories a day in order to remain healthy.
Caloric Intake
A healthy diet plan cuts around 500 calories from the daily caloric intake. This typically results in losing 1 to 2 lbs of weight a week. Exercise, however, can promote weight loss without such a drastic decrease in caloric intake. According to the Mayo Clinic, 3,500 calories equals about one pound of fat. This means that in order to lose one pound of fat, 3,500 calories more then the number of calories consumed must be burned. The combination of a healthy diet and an exercise regimen can create a desired balance between calories consumed and calories burned.
Healthy Weight Loss Program
The first step to establishing a healthy weight loss program is to reduce the number of calories consumed each day. This can be as simple as establishing healthier eating habits. Eating smaller portions, drinking less alcohol, eating healthier snacks, skipping the extra high calorie indulgence, and replacing high-calorie foods with lower-calorie options are all easy ways to cut calories. Balanced diets, that contain a wide variety of healthy nutrient rich foods like whole grains, low-fat proteins, vegetables, and fruits, keep the body feeling fuller longer and contain fewer total fat and calories.
Exercise
Cutting calories is important however, exercise also plays a major role in losing weight. At the bare minimum, 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five times a week is recommended for maintaining weight, jump starting metabolism, relieving stress, boosting mood, improving self-esteem, and increasing energy levels. Working out can be as simple as increasing the amount of physical activity throughout the day.
Benefits of Exercise
A regular exercise program can burn calories, relieve stress, ease depression, increase energy levels and improve self-esteem. Maintaining an exercise routine will also replace fat with lean muscle mass creating a lean and healthy body. These visible benefits make dieters feel healthier and more comfortable with their bodies thus, making it easier to continue exercising and dieting. However, like weight loss, these changes happen slowly. Results are typically dependent on the frequency and intensity of workouts as well as the daily caloric intake.
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