Things To Know To Lose Weight

Losing weight has many benefits, including reduced risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Approximately 68 percent of adults older than the age of 20 struggle with weight issues, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A basic approach to weight loss that includes reducing calorie consumption and regular physical activity will help you accomplish your goals.

Weight-Loss Goals

Set realistic weight-loss goals. A safe weight-loss goal is 1 to 2 lbs. weekly. Decrease your calorie consumption based on your goal. For example, losing 1 lb. of fat requires burning 3,500 weekly calories and 2 lbs. requires burning 7,000 calories. This is because a single pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. Set daily goals based on your weekly goals. For example, if you want to lose 1 lb. weekly, burn 500 calories daily, which is 3,500 calories per week, through a reduced-calorie diet and exercise.

Portion Control

Meet your daily calorie goals by monitoring portion control. This will prevent you from eating double or even triple the calories during your meal. Pre-measure foods when possible, according to the food's serving size recommendation. When measuring cups aren't available, use visual cues. For example, a serving of protein is about the size of a deck of cards. If you're eating fruit, visualize eating the size of a tennis ball. Eat the size of one die when consuming a serving of fat.

Exercise

For weight loss, you need at least 30 minutes of cardio activity daily. Select activities that match your weight-loss goals. For example, if you need to burn 500 calories daily through exercise, playing flag football for an hour burns 584 calories for a 160-lb. person, according to MayoClinic.com. High-impact aerobics burns 511 calories an hour and stationary rowing also burns 511 calories an hour. Another approach to burning more calories during your workout session is circuit training. With this approach, you alternate strengthening movements with cardio activity. For example, you complete a couple minutes of leg squats and rotate to jogging for a couple minutes.

Strengthening Muscles

Plan an exercise routine that includes at least two to three sessions of strength training each week. Strength training has a variety of benefits, including increasing your metabolism, boosting energy and protecting your joints from injury. Select activities that strengthen a variety of muscle groups, such as the buttocks, core muscles, legs, chest and back.