Commercials for diet and weight-loss products make it sound easy to drop extra weight, but if you've ever struggled with the scale, you know that it's not as easy as taking a pill or drinking a shake. Losing weight takes hard work and dedication, which can add up to stress and frustration when your plans are derailed. By losing weight the right way and setting realistic goals, you can take the stress out of losing weight as you see a real difference in your health and your body.
Step 1
Set realistic goals for your weight loss and yourself. When you set unrealistic goals, say, losing 10 lbs. in one week for your high school reunion, you're destined to fail and become stressed out when you don't achieve your goal. Instead, use the facts to help you make plans. Lose weight instead at a rate of 1 to 2 lbs. per week. You can achieve this aiming for a calorie deficit, or consuming fewer calories than you burn, of 500 to 1,000 calories per day.
Step 2
Make small changes instead of huge differences in the way that you eat and move. Suddenly changing your diet to one that restricts you to one food group or requires you to eat certain diet foods may help you restrict calories and lose weight, but it also leaves you stressed and bored by your diet. You're then more likely to stray from your diet and feeling like a failure when you can't like up to the new demands of a completely different lifestyle. Instead, aim for small, simple and common-sense changes to help you lose the weight easily.
Step 3
Eat better each day, focusing on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and healthy fats. Choose a diet high in protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates to give your body the best nutrition using fewer calories. Eat all of your meals to keep your metabolism burning efficiently; skipping meals can cause your body to store fat or cause you to overeat in compensation, warms FamilyDoctor.org.
Step 4
Move your body, starting with low-impact exercise such as walking or using an elliptical machine, which can help burn calories. Add weight training and higher-impact exercise to match your changing level of fitness. While heading to the gym or working out at home is beneficial, if the thought of joining a gym or adhering to a schedule stresses you out, additional movement can help too, notes MayoClinic.com. Try parking farther away from the store and taking the stairs whenever possible to keep burning calories while running errands and performing daily tasks.
Step 5
Reward yourself so that you continue the process of weight loss. Whether it's a trip to the mall for new pants or a day at the beach with a good book, rewards can make weight loss a more pleasant experience that you're more inclined to stick with.
Member Comments