The easiest way to lose weight is not counting calories, not taking expensive fat-blocking pills or ordering prepackaged and flash frozen foods that are delivered to your doorstep. The only way to successfully lose weight is to burn off more calories than you consume. Exercise combined with a balanced and nutritious diet is inexpensive, effective and provides long lasting results and a healthier lifestyle.
Step 1
Choose activities you like to do. This helps you get moving and burning calories with minimum fuss. If you like to play tennis, play tennis. If you like to hike, go hiking. The key is to choose activities that won't seem so much like exercise, which doesn't have to be painful or boring to be effective. The harder or longer you exercise, the more calories you'll burn. Exercise also builds lean muscle mass, which burns fat and calories more efficiently as fuel or energy than fat does.
Step 2
Walk every day. Walk quickly, not strolling, hold the stomach in and tuck in the butt. Walking will help slim and trim the hips and thighs while providing a great cardiovascular workout at the same time. The Duke University performed a study that determined 45 minutes of brisk walking a day can help you lose up to 30 lbs. a year without severely restricting your diet.
Step 3
Reduce serving size portions. A 3- to 4-oz. serving of meat is about the size of a cell phone, though most of us eat twice that at dinner. According to the National Institutes of Health, 2 tbsp. of peanut butter is about the size of a ping pong ball. 1.5 oz. of cheese is the size of about 4 dice and 1/2 of a cup of potato, rice or pasta is about the size of 1/2 of a baseball.
Step 4
Avoid eating while watching television or reading to avoid the overeating or grazing effect. Slow down as you eat, so you feel more satisfied.
Tips and Warnings
- "Reader's Digest" printed an article that stated using a pedometer can help. Walking 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day can help you maintain weight, but adding a mere 2,000 steps a day can help you lose weight quickly and efficiently. Aim for 10,000 steps a day for optimal benefits.
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