With obesity rates higher than ever in the United States, losing weight has become a priority in many American's lives. Unfortunately, obesity has also become a priority for thousands of companies that flood the market with fad diets, diet pills and other weight-loss products, most of which are a waste of money. With so much confusion out there on how to lose weight, many dieters give up even before they begin. Others succeed, but do so in a way that not only puts their health at risk but also causes them to gain back much of the weight they lost over time. Luckily, with the right plan, you can lose the weight you want and keep it off for many years to come.
Setting Realistic Goals
The first aspect of not only losing 30 lb. but also keeping it off is setting realistic goals that you can achieve. Many people approach weight loss with ridiculous fad diets that starve you or exercise programs that were made for Olympic athletes. This only sets you up for failure. Set small achievable goals that you can easily reach. Once a goal is reached, set a new harder goal. Starting out with unrealistic weight-loss plans can cause you to fail early on in the process, or if you do succeed, it create a routine that is too hard to follow in the long run.
Calorie Deficit
To lose weight, you have to create a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit occurs when you use more calories in your body than you consume. This forces your body to turn to fat storage to gain energy, which causes you to lose weight. One way to create a calorie deficit is through eating a healthy diet.
In today's technological world, there are plenty of calculators that can do the math for you in calculating how many calories you need to lose 30 lb. A link to one of these calculators is provided in the Resources section of this article. Once you have reached your goal weight, revisit the calculator, which will allow you to calculate how many calories you can consume to maintain your goal weight.
Exercise Routine
The second part of creating a calorie deficit is developing an exercise routine that can help you burn calories. Before starting an exercise routine, you should contact your family physician to develop a routine that fits in with your current health needs.
When developing an exercise routine, start small. Taking on too vigorous of exercise, or exercising for too long of periods, can make it difficult to make it a habit as well as put you at risk for being injured. You exercise routine should consist of a healthy mix of strength training, aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, running, swimming) and stretching (warm-ups, yoga). Create an exercise program that you can continue to do even after you have reached your goal weight. This will help you keep the weight off.
Weekly Goals
When losing weight, it is important to stick to a goal of between 1 and 3 lb. a week. Shows like "The Biggest Loser" have put the idea in many dieter's heads that they too can lose 6 lb. or more in a week. Unfortunately, losing weight that fast without proper training and supervision can result in dehydration, injury and malnutrition from lack of calories. Losing weight slowly also gives time for the body to adjust to the new calorie restrictions and exercise without going into survival mode. In survival mode, the body slows down processes (such as your metabolism) to conserve calories. This can actually end up working against your weight-loss goals.
Keeping It Off
Once you have lost 30 lb., keeping that weight off relies on developing a continuing health program. First, continue an exercise routine of at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Second, develop a meal plan that provides just enough calories to maintain your weight. Avoid returning to your old ways of eating. This can quickly pack the pounds back on. Finally, weigh yourself once a week. This keeps you current in where your weight is at. Do not obsess and weigh yourself every day. Once a week is enough. If you start to gain weight again, adjust your exercise or diet to burn more calories until your weight is maintained again.
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