Losing weight is a simple matter of burning more calories than you consume. You must trim 3,500 calories from your diet, either through calorie restriction or exercise, to lose 1 lb. If you have attempted to lose weight for a year and have not been successful, make some key changes to your diet plan and workout schedule.
Counting Calories
Every calorie, be it from chocolate or a carrot, counts in your diet. You might be eating more calories than you realize. Purchase a food scale so that you can accurately weigh and measure your food. Study the nutrition labels of any processed foods you eat to make sure you eat the proper serving size. Practice portion control by using smaller plates at mealtime, or by filling half of your plate at every meal with fresh fruit and vegetables.
Food Types
Certain types of food provide little nutritional value, but add many calories to your daily intake. Make some key food swaps to dramatically reduce your intake without starving yourself. Instead of a snack-size bag of chips, eat three cups of air-popped popcorn. Instead of refined carbohydrates, stick to whole grain sources such as quinoa, amaranth, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta and brown rice. Replace dessert with fresh fruit. Drink plain water instead of soda or sugary juice. These food swaps can cut as much as 1,000 calories per day, enough for you to lose 1 or 2 lbs. per week.
Interval Training
The steady pace of many cardiovascular workouts might contribute to a weight loss plateau. As you gain fitness, your body becomes more efficient at exercising. You need to change your exercise pattern to burn calories at the same rate. Interval training boosts your heart rate and burns more calories than working out at a steady pace. If you normally speed-walk, jog or run for 30 minutes, incorporate a 30-second sprint every five minutes. Slow down to a regular walk to recover for one minute, then return to your normal pace.
Eat Fat-Burning, Appetite-Reducing Foods
TV personality and medical expert Dr. Mehmet Oz recommends that people eat certain foods to burn fat. Drink a glass of unsweetened grapefruit juice or eat a grapefruit to help wash fat out of the body. Eat spicy chilies to boost your metabolism. A bowl of fiber-packed berries will leave you feeling full and moves through your body quickly. Chilled soup before a meal can reduce your appetite.
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