Being overweight can increase your risk of developing serious health complications, such as fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, stroke and cancer. Because of these life-threatening dangers, it is important to understand how to shed excess pounds. Although weight loss can be difficult, a variety of lifestyle adjustments can help you keep unwanted weight off long-term.
Step 1
Exercise for 30 minutes, five days a week. You can do any type of exercise you like as long as it gets your heart rate up -- the more you enjoy the exercise, the more likely you are to stick with it long-term. If you do not have time for a half-hour routine, split it into 10-minute workouts throughout the day.
Step 2
Add weights or incorporate strength training exercises like push-ups into your exercise routine. The more muscle tone you have, the more calories you will burn when you exercise.
Step 3
Eat five or six smaller meals per day instead of three large ones. This will keep your insulin levels steady and help you to feel full throughout the day so that you do not accidentally overeat at meal times.
Step 4
Drink only water after breakfast. According to the Reader's Digest, Americans consume 245 extra calories every day just from soft drinks and juice. Eliminating these types of drinks from your diet can help you to cut back calories and lose weight long-term.
Step 5
Decrease your portion sizes. Use smaller plates when you eat. This way, you can clean your entire plate without gaining weight. If you go out to eat, where portion sizes are typically huge, take half of your food home to eat for lunch the next day.
Tips and Warnings
- The Diet Channel recommends eating slowly at meal times. It can take up to 20 minutes for your brain to start sending out fullness signals. If you eat quickly, you can easily consume a large amount of calories before your body starts to feel full. Take smaller bites, and allow yourself to enjoy the taste, smell and texture of your food.
- Reader's Digest says that watching television while you eat can promote overeating. This is because the distracting TV program can make it easy to miss your body's fullness ques. Eat at the table instead of in front of the TV. In addition, cut back on your television time by at least one hour. This will give you time to exercise, finish some housework or just enjoy time with your family.
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