With 68 percent of American adults overweight or obese according to the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, healthy weight loss is a priority for many. Diet and exercise plans abound, all with a different take on how to lose weight. But healthy plans have several characteristics in common, and incorporating them into your daily habits will put you on the road to healthy weight loss.
Take It Slow and Steady
You are more likely to maintain your weight loss if you lose at a healthy rate of 1 to 2 lbs. per week. To do this, you must create a deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day. You can achieve this through a combination of diet and/or increased physical activity.
Exercise Aerobically
Aerobic exercise burns fat, increases endurance and strengthens your heart and lungs. It's one of the best activities you can do to lose weight healthily. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends you get 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week.
Build Strong Muscles
Strength training increases your body's lean muscle and decreases fat. Building muscle can help you burn calories. Your body burns 70 calorie per gram to maintain muscle but only 3 calories per gram to maintain fat. Try to do two days a week of strength training.
Reduce Fat Intake
Fat has a lot of calories and little nutritional value, especially saturated fat, which contributes to clogged arteries and heart disease. Keep these calories at less than 10 percent of your total and replace solid fats with healthier mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
Track Your Weight
Set attainable short-term goals and monitor your weight regularly. Keep a weight chart, a food diary or use any other aid that shows your progress toward your goals. Tracking makes it more likely you will lose weight and keep it off.
Eat Breakfast
Don't skip meals. According to the National Weight Loss Registry, 78 percent of "successful losers" who have lost weight and kept it off eat breakfast every day. On average, members of the registry have kept their weight off for 5.5 years.
Eat Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are nutrient dense, with a high proportion of nutrients compared to the calories they contain. You can cut calories and still receive healthy vitamins, minerals, fibers and phytochemicals to protect you from disease.
Avoid Refined Grains
White bread, white rice, pasta -- these are all foods that have been refined. Processing strips most of the healthy nutrients in the food, leaving you with empty calories and sugars. Refined foods transform quickly into fat, leave you craving more of the same and contribute to heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.
Watch Less TV
Sedentary activities can inhibit weight loss. Sixty-two percent of successful losers in the National Weight Loss Registry watched fewer than 10 hours a week of television, and 90 percent of participants overall exercised an average of an hour a day. To promote weight loss, use one of your television hours for physical activity.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Several studies cited in a systematic review published in "Obesity" found that short sleep duration appears to be associated with current and future weight gain, especially in younger groups of people. Adequate sleep may help protect against weight gain, allow to you handle stress more easily and engage in less emotional overeating.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity...; June 2010
- Harvard HEALTHbeat: Calorie Counting Made Easy; Harvard Health Publications; 2009
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans -- Chapter 4
- David G. Edelson, M.D., FACP; HealthBridge; Manhasset, New York
- USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Executive Summary; 2010
- Nutrition.gov: Weight Management; 2008
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