If you are overweight or obese, you may be prone to health complications such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Fortunately, even losing 5 or 10 percent of your total weight may lower these numbers, explains the Centers for Disease Control. Losing weight is not easy, but it can be done if you are focused and if you have a good support system. Talk to your doctor before beginning any weight loss program, and never stop taking blood pressure or cholesterol-lowering medication without consulting with a health care professional.
Step 1
Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet. This diet is low in fat and cholesterol -- and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. The DASH diet can help you lose weight and can also lower your blood pressure.
Step 2
Write down the number of calories you are consuming each day. Do this by recording the foods you eat and looking up the number of calories in each item in a calorie counter book. Use the nutritional information on packaged items to find calorie information.
Step 3
Reduce the number of calories that you eat each day by 500. You need to eliminate 3,500 calories from your diet each week in order to lose 1 lb. By eating 500 fewer calories each day, you will lose approximately 1 lb. per week.
Step 4
Exercise to burn off another 500 calories per day. This will allow you to lose about another pound per week. The Centers for Disease Control recommends exercising at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week for good health -- and gradually increasing that amount to 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity most days of the week for maximum health benefits and weight loss.
Step 5
Avoid drinking more than one alcoholic beverage per day. Drinking more than that can cause your blood pressure to rise, and it can stall your weight loss efforts. Alcohol contains mostly empty calories.
Tips and Warnings
- Stop smoking. Smoking can raise your cholesterol and blood pressure -- quitting will have positive effects on your health.
- The Mayo Clinic warns that if you are a heavy drinker, suddenly stopping your consumption may trigger a temporary spike in blood pressure. Taper your alcohol habit gradually, or ask your physician for advice.
