Approximately 66 percent of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, according to Medline Plus. Losing weight requires eating fewer calories than your body uses and increasing the amount of calories your body burns through exercise. Making changes to your eating and exercise habits can help you create a calorie deficit that can help you lose one to two pounds per week, the rate recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for safe and healthy weight loss.
Step 1
Determine how many calories your body needs each day to maintain your weight. Multiply your weight by 10 if you are sedentary or very obese, by 13 if you do low levels of physical activity and by 15 if you regularly do a moderate amount of physical activity. This result will be how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight.
Step 2
Choose a type of aerobic exercise that you enjoy and burn 250 to 500 calories each day. Many moderate-intensity aerobic activities, such as brisk walking, cycling, running or swimming, can help you burn this amount of calories.
Step 3
Eat 250 to 500 calories fewer each day than what your body needs to maintain your current weight. The combination of eating less and burning more calories through exercise will help you lose one to two pounds per week.
Tips and Warnings
- Eating 250 to 500 fewer calories each day and burning 250 to 500 calories through exercise can help you create a calorie deficit of 3,500 to 7,000 calories each week, the amount necessary to lose one to two pounds each week, reports the President's Council on Fitness, Nutrition and Sports. Choosing exercises you enjoy will increase your chances of sticking with your exercise routine. Also, choosing lower-calorie, nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods and lean meats can help you stay within your calorie limits.
- The University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, suggests that men should never eat fewer than 1,500 calories each day and that women should not consume fewer than 1,200 calories each day, unless under medical supervision. If you are new to exercise or have a condition that may affect your ability to exercise safely, you should consult your doctor before beginning your exercise program. You should gradually and slowly work your way up to 30 minutes or more of aerobic exercise on most days of the week.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
- Exercise plan
References
- Medline Plus: Weight Control
- CDC: Balancing Calories
- Medline Plus: Weight Management
- Harvard Medical School: Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights
- President's Council on Fitness, Nutrition and Sports: Exercise and Weight Control
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Tips for losing weight -- Overview
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