When it comes to losing weight, crash diets, herbal weight loss pills, appetite suppressants and energy boosters may show signs of validity, but they can be expensive and cause harmful side effects to your body. The most effective way to lose weight is by making gradual changes at a slow and steady pace. This way, your body can get acclimated and you will not have to rely on supplements the rest of your life.
Step 1
Reduce your bad calorie intake. Foods that are high in refined sugar, saturated fat and sodium can cause weight gain and water retention. Avoid deep fried foods, frozen dinners, chips, cakes, cookies, processed meats, fast food and high-fat dairy products. Have your diet consist of quality sources of protein, carbs and fats like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, beans, whole grains, seeds and nuts.
Step 2
Reduce the amount of calories you take in. An effective way to lose a pound of weight a week is to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories. This is because it takes a 3,500-calorie deficit to lose a pound. If you want to lose 2 lbs. a week, reduce your intake by 1,000 calories. That is more extreme, and if you chose to go that far, make sure you don't go below 1,200 calories a day if you are a woman and 1,800 calories a day if you are a man.
Step 3
Drink more water. Water helps keep you hydrated, it flushes toxins from your system, it aids in digestion and it has zero calories. When it comes to losing weight, drink a glass of water right before you eat meals to fill yourself up. According to the Institute of Medicine, women should get approximately 2.7 total liters of water daily and men should get approximately 3.7 liters.
Step 4
Change the way you eat meals. Every time you eat a large meal, your body burns some of the calories for energy and the rest are stored as fat. Then, when you wait long periods of time without eating, your metabolism slows down. To crank up your metabolism, eat a small meal every 2 to 3 hours throughout the course of the day. This will also keep your energy levels high and prevent you from overeating. Make your meals balanced with protein and complex carbs. A banana with peanut butter spread across it is an example of a midday meal.
Step 5
Start your first multiple meal with breakfast. When you do not eat breakfast, your metabolism will stay low and you run the risk of getting hungry later in the day and binging on junk food. Before you step out the door for work, have a bowl of high fiber cereal with low-fat milk, cottage cheese with fruit or an egg white scramble with chopped up vegetables.
Step 6
Burn calories with cardio training. Cardiovascular exercise gets your heart rate up and it can also help burn significant calories. Perform cardio three days a week on alternating days for 30 minutes when you first start. As you build up your aerobic capacity, aim for 45 to 60 minutes. Running, spinning, swimming, stair climbing, elliptical training and kick boxing are examples of things you can do.
Step 7
Work your muscles to increase your metabolism. Do weight training exercises that target your whole body like bench presses, shoulder presses, lateral rows, triceps extensions, incline curls and lunges. Do these exercises three times a week on alternating days. Perform 12 to 15 reps with moderate weights and do 3 to 4 sets per exercise.
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