If you trim just 250 calories from your daily intake, you can lose 2 lbs. in a month. Add to that a daily 30-minute session of aerobics and you can lose 4 lbs. in the same amount of time. The key is to make changes you can stick with. Rather than subject yourself to drastic calorie restrictions, adopt a slow and steady approach to lasting weight loss.
Identification
The best diet and exercise regimens for weight loss are those that suit your preferences and goals. An effective weight loss meal plan provides fewer calories than your body needs to maintain your current weight, but doesn't leave you feeling hungry. Although the primary roles of exercise in weight loss are to maintain muscle and improve your fitness, activity also burns calories and contributes a modest amount to weight loss. Choose activities that you enjoy doing and mix up your workouts to avoid burnout.
Significance
Exercise helps to define your muscles and improve your cardiovascular health. Physical activity also is an important companion to a healthy diet when you're trying to lose weight. If you cut calories from your diet, you will lose weight without exercise. The problem is that you lose both fat and muscle, according to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. You can preserve and tone muscle mass by staying active during weight loss.
Features
Simple strategies to cut calories include making healthier substitutions in your current eating habits and reserving your favorite unhealthy food choices for once a week and in smaller portions. This accomplishes two important tasks at once. You begin to develop better eating habits, but you also learn moderation for your less than healthy choices. Vary your exercise to support your weight loss goal and to build strength and endurance. Aerobic exercise burns the most calories, but resistance training and flexibility exercises are also important for overall fitness and health.
Factors
An effective weight loss diet satisfies your hunger and supplies enough energy to support healthy levels of activity. If you feel tired or hungry, your physical activity goals may suffer. Likewise, if you cut calories too severely and stay hungry, you're more likely to revert back to previous eating patterns. Instead, balance your meals with a variety of healthy choices from each food group.
Components
Plan your menus to include seven to eight servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, but help curb hunger due to their high fiber and water content. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that adults eat five to eight servings of grains a day, depending on weight goals. Choose whole grains, such as whole wheat pasta, quinoa, brown rice and whole wheat bread, over products made with white flour or refined corn meal. Include up to three servings of fat-free milk and one to two servings of lean proteins in your meal plans.
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