Maintaining a healthy weight reduces your risk of many health conditions. In fact, losing as little as five percent of your excess body weight is enough to reduce your risk of developing diabetes and lower your cholesterol. Even if you are familiar with the benefits of weight loss, it is still a challenge. Having several strategies in place speeds weight loss and boosts your chance of success.
Change Your Habits
Overeating often begins with bad habits. Routinely skipping breakfast can lead to a calorie-rich donut midmorning. Heading to the gym after work, without stopping for a small, healthy snack, can lead to eating anything you can get your hands on when you get home, rather than waiting until you fix a healthy dinner. Carefully determine when you are most likely to overeat or make poor food choices. Rearrange your schedule so that you don't put yourself in this position.
Count Calories
Keep a food diary so that you know how many calories you are eating. While the number of calories you can eat and still lose weight depends on various factors, including your current weight, activity level and age, tracking the number of calories you eat each day allows you to determine the approximate number of calories you can eat and still lose weight. You can use an online food diary, an offline journal, or a notebook to jot down this information. It is important to record everything you eat, including unplanned snacks and bites you take off your children's plates.
Eat Less
There are several ways to cut calories from your diet. The easiest is to eliminate foods and drinks that are high in calories and offer little in the way of nutritional support. Soft drinks, snack cakes and chips are all foods that can easily be eliminated from your diet. Another method of cutting calories from your diet is to pay close attention to portion size. For example, one serving of pasta is about the size of a tennis ball, one serving of meat or chicken is the size of a deck of cards, and one potato should be the size of a standard light bulb.
Eat Smaller Meals
Smaller, more frequent meals prevent you from getting so hungry that you overeat. Eating something every two to three hours can help you feel satisfied. Choose quality snacks, such as low-fat yogurt, fruit and nuts.
Exercise
Choose activities you enjoy, such as cycling, walking and hiking, so you are more inclined to exercise frequently. Switching between several activities helps keep boredom at bay. Exercise for at least 30 minutes, five to seven times a week, to boost weight loss.
Drink Water
Adequate water intake, about 8 to 10 glasses each day, prevents water retention. It also helps you feel full, making it easier to eat less.
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