For many people, losing weight is a two-tiered battle. On one hand, you need to lose the weight; on the other, you need to keep the weight off for the long run to sustain the benefits of all your hard work. By making changes that are sustainable in both your diet and activity level, it is possible for you both to lose the weight and keep it off.
Making Healthy, Permanent Lifestyle Changes
Step 1
Avoid fad diets like the cabbage soup diet, liquid diets or any diet that cuts your daily calorie intake below 1,200 without a doctor's supervision. Eating too few calories activates your body's survival mode, which lowers your metabolism and increases fat storage to preserve energy, the Cleveland Clinic warns. This can actually work against you, especially when you eventually increase your calorie intake back above 1,200.
Step 2
Choose a diet and exercise routine you can stick with for the rest of your life. Jumping into an extreme exercise or diet regimen might seem easy for the first few days, weeks or even months. However, the chances of continuing these routines in the long term are slim, meaning your chances of eventually gaining the weight back later are higher than with routines that create gradual and sustainable weight loss.
Step 3
Keep careful track of what you eat. To lose weight you need to create a calorie deficit. This means burning more calories than you take in through your diet. To ensure you are sticking close to your diet, keeping a calorie journal or using online tools like LIVESTRONG.com's MyPlate can help ensure you are more successful in watching your calories. Write down how you feel when you splurge or slip up on your diet. This will help you recognize in the future what triggers unhealthy or over-eating, allowing you to research coping mechanisms to replace stress eating.
Step 4
Combine both aerobic exercise and strength training when designing your exercise routine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests you get 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise, which increases the heart and respiratory rates to burn calories. The CDC also recommends at least two days a week of strength training, which increases muscle mass on your body. Greater amounts of muscle increases how efficiently your body can burn calories, resulting in better weight-loss results.
Step 5
Don't be afraid to splurge, as long you do so in occasionally and in moderation. Giving into small cravings for items like chocolate, ice cream or salty chips is OK, as long as you stay within a small serving size of 200 calories or less. Eating a small snack in a healthy portion at the beginning of a craving is better than eating a large portion when the craving no longer is bearable. Consider healthy alternatives, such as a bowl of fruit or a banana, before giving into your cravings.
Things You'll Need
- Calorie journal
References
- American Council on Exercise; How can I lose weight and keep it off?; Natalie Digate Muth
- Cleveland Clinic: The Very Best Way To Lose Weight and Keep It Off
- Weight-Control Information Network; Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight Loss Program; April 2008
- MayoClinic.com; Strength Training: Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier; June 30, 2010
- FamilyDoctor; What it Takes to Lose Weight; December 2010
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