If you are one of the nearly two-thirds of Americans who are overweight or obese, you might wonder what you should do to lose weight. To be successful, you should approach weight loss as a lifestyle intervention in which you make multiple changes to your diet and exercise habits. Focus on eating more low-calorie foods and fewer high-calorie foods. You should also reduce the size of your food portions and limit sugar-sweetened drinks. Increasing exercise and general physical activity is also critical to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.
Diet
Step 1
Track the calories you consume in food by keeping a food journal. Write down all of the foods and beverages you consume. Use the Internet to determine the amount of calories and fat in each food and record these numbers in your journal. You can also use one of the many online applications for tracking food, such as LIVESTRONG.com's MyPlate site. After a few days of keeping your food diary, review your eating patterns. Determine which foods and beverages are high in calories or fat.
Step 2
Reduce the calories you consume in food. To lose 1 lb., you will need to expend 3,500 calories. If you can eat 500 fewer calories each day than what you are eating now for one week, you should be able to lose a pound.
Step 3
Increase consumption of low-fat, low-calorie foods, which should include fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains. Avoid fast food and restaurant food, as these foods tend to have a lot of calories and fat. Try to find low-calorie foods to substitute for high-calorie foods you usually eat. For instance, if you like dessert, try fruit instead.
Step 4
Eat smaller portions of foods to reduce calorie intake. One way to do this is to eat single-serving packaged food, such as frozen meals.
Step 5
Avoid sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages. A 2010 review of research published in the journal "Nutrition Reviews" concluded that drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages can increase weight loss.
Exercise
Step 1
Increase your daily physical activity. Physical activities are what you do every day in which you use your body, such as household chores or shopping. You can build extra physical activity into your daily routine, such as taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator.
Step 2
Increase your daily exercise intensity. Exercise is planned physical activity. If you are new to exercise, you should start with lower-intensity activities, such as walking. If you currently exercise, you should add more intense activities, such as bicycling, basketball or aerobic dance. Most of your exercise should be moderate or vigorous, to increase your heart rate and breathing.
Step 3
Increase the duration of time you spend exercising. Aim for at least 30 minutes each day.
Things You'll Need
- Food diary
- Athletic clothes and shoes
- Low-calorie foods
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Fast Stats
- "Nutrition Reviews"; "Impact of water intake on energy intake and weight status: a systematic review"; Melissa Daniels and Barry Popkin; 2010
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise"; "Compendium of physical activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities"; Barbara Ainsworth et al; 2000
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Aim for a Healthy Weight
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for Everyone
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