You must expend more calories than you eat to lose weight. The key to losing weight successfully is sticking with your new eating and exercise program until you have met your goals. Implementing a few strategies will make it more likely that your weight loss attempt will be successful.
Become Physically Active
If you lead a sedentary life, begin to incorporate physical activities into your day. This will help you burn significantly more calories than you would burn otherwise. For example, simply taking a brisk walk for an hour each day can help you lose more than half a pound each week. An activity doesn't have to be formal exercise to help you acheive weight loss success. Simply mowing the lawn for an hour every week will burn more than 400 calories.
Reduce the Number of Calories You Eat
While you can lose weight simply through increasing your activity level, you will likely be more pleased with your results if you also limit the number of calories you eat. Cut 500 calories a day from your existing diet -- a task that is easier than it sounds. But you can accomplish this by replacing a couple of starches at your meals with green vegetables, and by eliminating desserts. Do this every day, and you will lose approximately a pound each week in addition to the weight you are losing through your increased activity level.
Control Cravings
You are much more likely to be successful in your weight loss endeavor if you are not always fighting cravings. Jeffrey Rossman, Ph.D., director of life management at Canyon Ranch, notes that sugar meets all of the criteria for an addictive substance. To help control your cravings, eliminate sugar from your diet. Even if you don't think you have a problem with sugar, the steadier blood sugar levels that you will have as a result of removing it from your diet will help you resist the urge to overeat. You can also help to eliminate cravings by removing tempting foods from your pantry and refrigerator, as out of sight is often out of mind.
Motivate Yourself
If you have more than 5 lbs. to lose, staying motivated long enough to acheive your weight loss goals can be a problem. Keep yourself on the right track by setting short-term goals that are measurable and easily achievable. Keep a calendar and mark off each day that you meet your exercise quota, and reward yourself once you've done so for a week. Treat yourself to something special each time you lose 5 lbs. -- theater tickets, a new pair of shoes or a manicure are all things that can serve as motivation to stick to a diet.
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