There is no magic wand to wave in the air, making excess pounds fly away, much to the dismay of many. No secret equation exists either. It is a matter of eating--yes eating--to fuel your body, and increasing your metabolism to burn calories and fat. MayoClinic.com defines metabolism as the process by which the body converts what you eat and drink into energy. The higher your metabolism, the more calories you burn. The secret is to create a deficit between the calories you eat vs. the calories your metabolism uses for energy. Therefore, how quickly you lose weight is completely under your control.
Step 1
Create a food journal. What you eat and the number of calories these foods contain play an important role in your weight loss success. You cannot eat whatever you want and expect to lose weight. For one week, write down everything you consume, from meals to condiments such as gravies and ketchup. This will give you an idea of how many calories you take in each day.
Step 2
Count your calories. Once you know what you eat, add the calories. The candy bar you eat in the afternoon to tide you over until dinner surely has more calories than an apple, or a cup of low-fat yogurt topped with almonds. To lose weight, your calories should not fall below 1,200 if you are a woman, or 1,400 calories if you are a man, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC.
Step 3
Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water each day. When you do not drink enough water, your kidneys hold on to the water they have, resulting in what is known as "water weight." Drinking enough water flushes this out of your system, as UMMC says. In addition, drinking one glass of water before each meal fills you up, helping you eat less.
Step 4
Use a smaller plate at meal time. Rather than a dinner plate, try a salad plate instead. Filling your plate gives the impression you are eating more, when in actuality, you are eating less.
Step 5
Begin exercising on a regular basis. To increase your metabolism, you need to have a good exercise plan in place. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise daily is a good place to start, as MayoClinic.com explains. Aerobic exercise is any activity that raises your heart rate. This can be a brisk walk, a ride around the local park or playing tag with your kids. Eventually, you may need to increase your time to 45 minutes to meet your needs.
Step 6
Start a strength-training program. Muscle mass burns more calories than fat tissue, so performing strength-training exercises such as weight lifting will help increase the amount of muscle you have, according to MayoClinic.com. Another benefit of strength training is an increase in your metabolism. Not only does strength training increase this fat and calorie burning mechanism in your body, but it also helps keep it running high, burning off calories even when you are at rest.
Tips and Warnings
- Speak to a doctor or personal trainer before beginning a weight lifting routine, to guide you in the right direction, explain how to properly lift weights, and explain how to begin and how many times a week to perform these exercises.
- Never begin any diet or exercise plan until you speak to your doctor, especially if you are being treated for a specific health condition.
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