When you want to lose weight, you will need to burn off more calories than you take in. You can do this by eating less, exercising more or preferably by combining these two lifestyle changes. However, no matter how you choose to go about dropping pounds, the most important thing is to do it safely and healthily. Meet with your health care provider to discuss your weight-loss plans and ways to meet these goals.
Attitude
Losing weight is only half the battle -- the other challenge comes once you have reached your ideal body weight and need to keep those excess pounds off. Before you embark on a weight-loss regimen, check in with your attitude and mindset towards making these lifestyle changes. Ask yourself if you are ready to commit to eating better and increasing your activity level. Depending on what you currently eat and how sedentary you are, you may need to make drastic alterations to get yourself to a healthy weight. Discuss your reservations with a counselor or loved one and work to develop a positive attitude towards weight-loss before beginning.
Diet
You might be tempted to cut out loads of calories or go on a fad diet that promises rapid results. But these diets are not likely to work long term, and they may even endanger your health. Rather than depriving yourself of calories and nutrients, make small but healthy changes to the food you already eat. Meet with a nutritionist to discuss how many calories and fat grams you should be consuming in a day, as well as what kinds of food you should be both eating and avoiding. Work on gradually amending your diet into a healthier one you can follow for life.
Exercise
You do not need to run a marathon or lift weights for hours at a time to be physically fit. In fact, doing just 20 minutes of aerobic activity three times a week will help increase the amount of muscle you have, as well as burn off fat and calories. Consult with a personal trainer if you want help devising an exercise routine, and slowly work your way into becoming more active. Do activities you enjoy, and get your friends and loved ones involved if you like. Keep up with your physical fitness once you have lost the pounds to help maintain your new weight.
Additional Tips
Set realistic goals. Though you may need to lose a great deal of weight, aiming to drop 1 to 2 lbs a week is recommended. This will help ensure that you are not overworking your body, as well as better enable you to maintain the loss you achieve.
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