If your goal is to lose 100 lbs., you must begin with long-term changes to your diet. Even subtle modifications can have a positive effect when incorporated into your lifestyle as a whole. The government reports in its "Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2010" that controlling calorie intake is the most effective method of attaining and maintaining a healthy weight.
Step 1
Create short-term goals. Do not focus too much on the total amount of weight you have to lose. Aim to lose weight gradually and set yourself a target of about 1 to 2 lbs. a week. This rate of weight-loss is sustainable and will help you lose 100 lbs. within one to two years.
Step 2
Reduce your intake of calories. It is impossible to lose weight without consuming fewer calories than you use, regardless of the composition of the diet. A daily deficit of at least 500 calories is a typical goal during weight loss. Limiting daily intake to 1,500 calories for women and 2,000 calories for men will contribute to a weekly weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs. in most people.
Step 3
Eliminate empty calories. Avoid fatty foods like butter, mayonnaise, cream, rich sauces, and potato chips and sugary foods like cookies, cakes, ice cream and candies. These foods are rich in energy but low in nutrients and should be eaten sparingly, if at all.
Step 4
Consume more nutrient-dense foods. It is essential that you consume enough protein, vitamins and minerals while decreasing your energy intake. Eat more vegetables like broccoli, spinach and peppers, and choose leaner meats like chicken and turkey. Low-fat dairy products like skim milk and non-fat yogurt provide the same amount of calcium but are lower in calories.
Step 5
Increase your intake of fiber. Persistent feelings of hunger can be a problem when trying to lose weight, and fiber helps you feel full without providing calories. Choose whole-grain bread, pasta, rice and high-fiber breakfast cereals to boost your fiber intake.
Step 6
Cook for yourself more often. In an article published in the February 2011 edition of the "International Journal of Obesity," researchers at the University of Turin concluded that regular consumption of restaurant meals contributes to obesity.
Step 7
Eat breakfast every day. Subjects, in a study by the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, were more likely to be overweight if they regularly skipped breakfast, according to the conclusions published in the "Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical nutrition" in 2010.
Tips and Warnings
- Record your progress in a journal. Check the labels on food for nutrient and calorie content. Follow the recommendations set out in the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010."
References
- "Clinical Cornerstone"; Treatment of Overweight and Obesity: Lifestyle, Pharmacologic, and Surgical Options; C.P. Cannon, et al.; 2009.
- "The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing"; Diet, Exercise, and the Challenge of Combating Obesity in Primary Care; K.J. McInnis; April-June 2003
- "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010"; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; December 2010
- "Introduction to Nutrition and Metabolism"; David A. Bender; 1999
- "The Balance of Good Health"; Food Standards Agency and Department of Health: United Kingdom, 2001
- "International Journal of Obesity"; Contributors to the Obesity and Hyperglycemia Epidemics. A Prospective Study in a Population-Based Cohort; S. Bo, et al.; February 2011
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