Achieving healthy weight loss is an investment in long-term lifestyle changes, according to Doria Keesling, a certified nurse midwife at St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center's Women's Care Center in Missouri. After all, many of us who find ourselves overweight or obese didn't put on the weight overnight and shouldn't expect to take it off overnight either. Aiming for a steady one to two pound a week drop in weight can help our bodies become accustomed to new habits, and ensure an 8 to 10 pound a month weight loss that is healthy and safe.
Step 1
Exercise every day. Healthy weight loss is not about crash dieting or going from no exercise to attempting a five-mile run, but do start exercising about 30 minutes a day to start. This means walking, swimming or some other gentle exercises that will get your body ready for increased movement.
Step 2
Decrease your calorie intake. To lose weight, you've got to burn off more calories every day than you eat. You don't necessarily need to count calories, but do decrease your serving size portions. Most of us don't understand serving sizes or portions. A serving the size of a deck of cards or your cell phone is a more than adequate portion for your meat entree.
Step 3
Prepare yourself mentally for dieting and increasing your level of exercise. The Mayo Clinic states that losing weight slowly and with realistic goals is more effective in the long term than is putting pressure on yourself to lose weight quickly.
Step 4
Track your weight loss efforts. Take your measurements every couple of weeks and weigh in on a weekly basis to keep you motivated. You may find that you lose inches more quickly than you drop the weight, so weigh in and measure your waist, thighs and hips every couple of weeks.
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