If you want to lose extreme weight and keep it off for good, you'll have to get rid of bad habits and make lifestyle changes. Losing a lot of weight is a hard goal to reach, but it's doable if you start making healthy eating choices and exercise on a regular basis. Don't buy into crash diets that claim you'll lose lots of weight in a short amount of time. Most people who crash diet end up gaining all of the weight they lost back when they stop.
Step 1
Grab a notebook and pen and make it your best friend for a week. Write down everything you eat. Don't leave out a bite and calculate how many calories you're consuming each day.
Step 2
Figure out how many calories you should be consuming for your height and weight with a calorie calculator like the one found on the American Cancer Society's website.
Step 3
Start eating the right amount of calories immediately. You can do this by making healthier choices such as choosing grilled chicken instead of fried chicken, continuing to write down everything you eat and taking healthy snacks with you to work and to run errands. If you have an apple or yogurt with you, you'll be less likely to grab something fast and unhealthy when you're busy.
Step 4
Eat at home as much as possible. When you make your meals you know every ingredient that is going into them. Eating out at restaurants can be deceiving. Think your eating healthy when you order a salad with a creamy dressing? You're probably not, because many creamy dressings have lots of calories and fat.
Step 5
Pack your lunch. This will help to decrease eating out. If you have a business lunch or want to go out to eat with friends, choose a healthy option such as a salad with vinaigrette dressing, grilled chicken with vegetables or a sandwich on whole wheat bread with mustard and no cheese.
Step 6
Exercise most days of the week. Find ways to incorporate exercise into your daily life such as jogging with your dog in the morning, hiking with your boyfriend on the weekends and taking quick 10 minute walking breaks during your workday. Find activities that you enjoy to do and make sure you do them on a regular basis. You'll lose more weight if you participate in weight lifting and cardio activities each week.
Step 7
Give yourself rewards such as a new watch, the gadget you've been eyeing or a new pair of sneakers when you reach milestones.
Tips and Warnings
- Don't completely eliminate your favorite unhealthy foods from your diet or you'll constantly crave them. Instead, allow yourself to have a reasonable portion of the food you're craving every once in a while.
Things You'll Need
- Notebook
- Pen
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