Carrying around those extra pounds has an impact on your mind and your body. Obesity, characterized by having an excess amount of body fat, raises your risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and depression. Regardless if you have an extreme or marginal amount of weight to lose, the path for reduction is still the same.
Reduction of Calories
To lose weight, you have to force your body to burn stored fat for energy. The most effective way to do this is by cutting back on your daily calories. A reduction of 500 to 1,000 calories will promote 1 to 2 lbs. of weight loss on a weekly basis. To be precise, track your current intake for a full day, and then make your reduction. For example, if you come up with 2,800 calories, make your new intake 2,300 or 1,800.
Low-Energy Density Foods
Foods have either a high-energy density or a low-energy density. Cheeseburgers, ribs, cakes, cookies and doughnuts all have a high-energy density. This means they take up a small amount of space, but they are high in calories. A better approach for weight loss is to include mainly low-energy density foods into your diet. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and greens. In stark contrast to high energy density foods, these are low in calories and take up a lot of space.
Meal Intake
When you cut calories, you have a tendency to become hungry between your meals. This can lead to overeating which will put the brakes on your weight-loss efforts. To avoid this obstacle, mindfully prepare and eat small meals throughout the course of the day. This will not only keep you feeling satisfied, but it will also increase your energy levels. Balance each meal with complex carbs and protein, and eat every two to three hours. A banana with half a handful of walnuts is a meal, for example.
Liquid Calorie Reduction
Soft drinks, milk shakes, fruit punch, dessert lattes, beer and wine are beverages that all contain calories. To lose weight effectively, pass on all these and drink water instead. Water is calorie-free. It flushes toxins from your system, and it can also help fill you up if you drink it with your meals.
Aerobic Activity
Movement is an important part of losing weight. Aerobic activity causes repetitive movement of the arms and legs, and it burns a high number of calories. Incorporate some form of cardio into your schedule that you enjoy like jogging, fast-paced walking, jumping rope, biking or swimming. Try to get five days of cardio a week performed for 60 to 90 minutes at a time.
Weight Lifting
Weight lifting is an integral part of losing weight because it builds muscle. When you add muscle to your body, your resting metabolic rate increases and you burn more calories throughout the day. Perform exercises that target all your major muscle groups and work out two or three days a week.
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