Losing considerable weight requires you to make permanent changes to your daily habits. You must combine a low-calorie diet with an increased amount of exercise. It is important to maintain your lifestyle changes otherwise you may regain the weight you lost. You can lose weight by eating less calories than expected.
Reduced Caloric Intake and Fat
The key to losing substantial weight is to reduce your daily caloric intake through a low-fat, reduced-calorie diet as well as habitual exercise. There are 3,500 calories per pound of fat. In one week, you must then cut an average of 500 calories a day to lose a pound.
Fruits, Vegetables and Calories
Fruits and vegetables are excellent snack and side options for a reduced-calorie diet. They are low in fat, full of nutrients and most importantly, are low energy dense because they have a high water content. This means they make you feel as full as other foods but on fewer calories.
Reduced-Calorie Diet and Water
Drinking water before a meal is beneficial because it can help you feel more full before eating. A study at the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech found that a glass of water before meals led to greater weight loss during a reduced-calorie diet.
Exercise and Calories
In addition to eating fewer calories than normal, it is important to reduce your overall caloric intake by burning calories through physical activity. Depending on your size, an exercise will burn more or less calories. An hour of jogging will burn about 584 calories in a 160-lb. person whereas it will burn about 872 calories in a 240-lb. person.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Counting Calories: Get Back to Weight-Loss Basics
- Mayo Clinic: Energy Density and Weight Loss: Feel Full on Fewer Calories
- "Obesity"; Water Consumption Increases Weight Loss During a Hypocaloric Diet Intervention in Middle-Aged and Older Adults; Dennis EA, et. al; August 2009
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour
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