Despite the proliferation of exotic diet plans, weight loss is based on a few simple principles. These principles are not difficult to understand -- it's the execution that is the hard part. Permanent weight loss usually occurs gradually as the result of a combination of long-term, healthy lifestyle changes.
Caloric Balance
A calorie is a unit of energy, and the amount of energy is a calorie is exactly the same, regardless of whether it comes from carbohydrates, fat, sugar or protein, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you eat. Your body burns most of your calories simply keeping you alive and the rest through exercise. How many calories your body burns to perform a given amount of work depends on your metabolic rate, which is mostly determined by your genes. You need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume for every pound you lose.
The Substitution Strategy
Even though a calorie is the same no matter what type of food you eat, a piece of chocolate cake contains more calories than a head of lettuce of the same weight. If you try to reduce calories by simply eating less of the same foods, you are likely to feel hungry much of the time and will probably return to your old eating habits. Instead, substitute healthy, low-calorie foods for unhealthy foods -- snack on fruit instead of potato chips, for example. The more you rely on substitution to reduce calories, the less you will need to reduce the volume of food that you consume. Don't reduce your daily calorie intake below about 1,500 calories per day, so that your body won't dip into muscle tissue to meet its calorie needs.
Exercise
Exercise can burn calories in two ways -- directly and indirectly. Aerobic exercise such as swimming or bicycling burns calories directly, at the rate of a few hundred calories per hour. To effectively burn calories, aerobic exercise must be performed continuously for at least 12 minutes, and must be intense enough to prevent you from holding a conversation without pausing to catch your breath periodically. Strength-training exercises, such as weightlifting, are considered anaerobic because they require short bursts of intensity and frequent rest periods. Although strength training burns fewer calories than intense aerobic exercise, it raises your metabolism so that your body burns calories 24/7 to maintain your new muscle tissue.
Psychology
Even the best weight loss program will be ineffective if you fail to perform it. Turn your mind into your ally by taking advantage of psychological techniques that can help maintain your motivation. Set a date several weeks in advance to begin losing weight and, during the interval, try to resolve any other problems in your life that might distract you from your weight loss goals. MayoClinic.com emphasizes the importance of setting realistic weight loss goals -- a pound or two per week, for example. Seek emotional support from family and friends, join a weight loss support group, and find an exercise partner to accompany you to the gym.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Loss: 6 Strategies for Success
- US Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Balancing Calories
- Weight-control Information Network: Weight Loss and Nutrition Myths
- ShapeFit: Weight Loss Questions - Can You Provide an Exercise Plan to Lose Weight?
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