Whether you are a woman who is trying to drop a few pounds or making a large lifestyle overhaul, the best weight loss strategy is a healthy diet in combination with an exercise routine. This method is safer and more reliable than fad diets that advise you to cut out essential food groups or subsist on too few calories.
Healthy Weight Loss
You should lose weight at the rate 1 to 2 lbs. per week, according to Rutgers University. You are unlikely to experience long-term success with your diet if you lose more than 2 lbs. per week, and you may get trapped in a cycle of yo-yo dieting. One pound of weight equals to 3,500 calories, so you will need to eliminate an extra 3,500 to 7,000 calories per week in order to maintain a healthy rate of weight loss.
Caloric Intake
Although 3,500 to 7,000 calories may sound like a lot, more than half of those calories can be eliminated by eating 250 to 500 fewer calories every day. Thus, if you currently consume 2,000 calories per day, reduce your intake to 1,500 to 1,750 per day. Do not skip meals in an attempt to cut your calories; doing so will only slow down your metabolism and make you more likely to overeat later. It is better to eat small meals often throughout the day than to binge on one or two large meals, and you will feel better about yourself in the process.
Diet
Make sure that the foods that you eat are nutritionally balanced; you will not experience healthy weight loss by eating 1,500 calories of doughnuts every day. Choose foods that are high in fiber and have a good protein to carbohydrate to fat ratio. Avoid eating a lot of processed foods, and choose to snack on fruits or lightly seasoned vegetables instead. Keep in mind that any food can make you gain weight if you eat too much: nuts, for example, are healthy but are calorie-dense. Portion control is key, because even nutritious foods can hinder weight loss in high quantities.
Exercise
Reducing your caloric intake is a good start to a weight loss program, but you must increase your caloric output in order to experience the best results. If you expend more calories than you eat, you will lose weight. Try to perform some type of cardiovascular exercise --- jogging, bicycling, swimming --- for at least 30 minutes at least five times a week. If you burn 300 calories per session, you'll rid your body of 1,500 extra calories per week. Exercise more intensely and more often for increased calorie burn and even better results.
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