Most individuals choose to lose weight loss at some point. Many turn to fad diets or simply just not eating to lose weight, but the key to successful and safe weight loss is a balance of a proper diet and exercise. With the right tools and a little dedication, you can be on the right track to losing weight and keeping it off.
Talk to Your Doctor
Prior to beginning a weight-loss program, talk to your doctor. He can determine an appropriate weight for your specific height and body type. He can also help you to set realistic weight-loss goals and make sure you are healthy enough to participate in physical activity. This is especially important if you a have health condition.
Count Calories
To lose weight, you need to either increase the amount of physical activity you participate in or decrease the amount of calories you take in on a daily basis -- or both. To shed 1 lb. of fat, you need to burn 500 calories.To lose 1 lb. of fat each week, try reducing your caloric intake by 500 calories per day.
This may be as simple as cutting out dessert or switching from regular soda to diet soda. Also consider keeping a food diary. Write down all the foods you eat and beverages you drink daily, along with the amount of calories in each of them. This will help you see where you can cut calories.
Diet
Instead of eating the traditional three meals each day, eat five or six smaller meals. Eating multiple small, healthy meals a day can help you to cut back on snacking on unhealthy food. Consider snacks such as carrot sticks, fruit or whole-grain pretzels. Always eat breakfast to jump start your metabolism, which will make it easier for you to lose weight. Remove sweets and other junk foods from your diet, and focus on meals that are packed with nutritious fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.
Exercise
To lose weight, participate in 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week. You do not need to be athletic to have success while exercising. Find an activity or multiple activities you enjoy; this will help to cut down on boredom as you exercise.
Cardiovascular, or aerobic, exercises get your heart pumping, cause you to break a sweat and burn calories. Consider cardio workouts such as walking, jogging, swimming, aerobics, gardening, running, biking, jumping rope or participating in a sport.
Also participate in strength training two days a week. Try resistance bands, light weights or body-weight exercises, such as pushups and situps. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, strength training can help you reach your weight-loss goal along with helping to tone your body.
Member Comments