When you fully commit to losing weight, you might wish you could unzip your skin and step out in your lean, toned body. While weight loss isn't instant and isn't always easy, you can make a few lifestyle changes now that will speed your results. A goal, a plan and some information about how weight loss works will take you a long way. A willingness to do the hard work and a mindset tuned to success can take you the rest of the way.
Step 1
Focus on slow, realistic changes instead of fad diet plans, miracle pieces of exercise equipment, dangerous diet pills or tasteless shakes and meal replacement bars.
Step 2
Choose one food problem to solve at a time. Jot down whether you eat out too much, snack too much, eat too many sweets, deep fry everything or simply don't eat certain meals at all. Decide to cook at home for each meal. When that change becomes second nature, move on to what you're cooking.
Step 3
Try simple food substitutions that won't change your food landscape dramatically, but that will help you shed pounds. For example, swap out all your white bread, rice and pasta with the whole grain versions. Change your milk and dairy products to low-fat or fat-free. Replace some of your soda and juice intake with water. Choose cuts of meat that contain less fat. Add a serving of vegetables to each meal.
Step 4
Add enjoyable exercise and build upon that until you reach your fitness goals. Don't start out trying to run a marathon. Take a 30-minute walk after dinner, ride your bike to the store, play with your kids in the yard, take a dance class, sign up for martial arts lessons or take a yoga class.
Step 5
Learn some simple math to help keep your goals on track. It takes a 3,500 calorie deficit to lose just one pound. You'll accomplish this goal each week if you eat 250 fewer calories a day and burn 250 calories through exercise. Once you've made some important changes with diet and exercise, start playing with your calorie consumption and exercise amounts so that you're in the weight-loss zone.
Step 6
Add strength training, yoga, Pilates or resistance training to your routine to tone your muscles and speed up fat loss. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn, both through daily activities and through exercise.
Tips and Warnings
- Physical activity needs to get your heart rate up and keep it up for 30 minutes a day. Don't be in a rush. You may want to lose your weight now, but fast, fad-based weight loss only works in the short term and you almost always regain that weight plus more. Slow and steady changes help you lose weight safely, improve your health and keep the weight off for good.
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