The safest and most effective way to lose weight is to follow a good diet and exercise regularly. A healthy, low-calorie diet should cut a reasonable amount of calories from your diet by eliminating sugary beverages, fried foods and rich desserts. Instead, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, nuts and seeds. After that, design a reasonable, fun and vigorous exercise regimen that leads to weight loss.
Safe Weight Loss
While everyone wants to lose weight fast, it's not healthy to lose more than 2 to 3 lbs. per week, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Typically, to lose 1 lb. of fat, you must have a 3,500-calorie deficit. This means that the calories you eliminate from your diet plus the extra calories you burn with vigorous exercise must add up to 3,500 to achieve 1 lb. of weight loss.
Effect of Weight
How fast you lose weight with exercise depends partly on your current weight. For example, a 125-lb. person burns 375 calories running at 7.5 mph for 30 minutes, while a 185-lb. person burns 555 calories at the same level of activity, according to Harvard Medical School. The reason that heavier people burn more calories is that their muscles have to shift more weight, which requires more energy.
Effect of Intensity
Another factor that affects how fast you lose weight with exercise is the intensity of the activity. Activities that are more intense burn more calories because the body must work much harder. For example, if a 125-lb. person burns 375 calories running at 7.5 mph for 30 minutes, that same person would burn 495 calories in 30 minutes by raising their running speed to 10 mph, according to Harvard Medical School.
Expert Insight
Use online resources to find out how many calories an activity burns so you know how long you need to perform it to achieve weight loss. Research different types of physical activities to find one that is entertaining and conducive to weight loss. If you enjoy dancing, for example, enroll in a ballet class that requires vigorous physical activity. If you like team sports, join a competitive basketball, softball, hockey, soccer or baseball league. The more you enjoy your physical activity, the more likely you are to continue participating in it, and the quicker you will lose weight.
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