Your ability to lose weight in preparation for a physical exam will depend on when the exam is scheduled. If you have several weeks or months before your physical, you will have adequate time to reduce your weight and improve your physical fitness. To lose weight before a physical exam, you should evaluate your current eating and physical activity habits, set a weight loss goal, change your diet and increase physical activity. You may find that changing your lifestyle to lose weight will improve your overall health.
Review Your Eating and Physical Activity and Set a Weight Loss Goal
Step 1
Keep a diary of all the foods and beverages you consume for a few days -- and also log the amount of exercise you do. Determine the calories and fat in each food using a calorie counting website. Keeping track of the foods and beverages you consume is critical because it provides you with information about the calories you are taking in, allowing you to take control of your eating behaviors. It also informs you which foods to target to reduce calories. If you keep track of your food, beverages and calories daily, you will know when you have eaten enough for the day. This knowledge can help prevent overeating before your physical exam.
Step 2
Calculate the amount of calories you will need each day for weight loss. To lose weight you must burn off more calories than you take in. To lose 1 to 2 lbs. per week, you will need to burn 500 to 1,000 more calories each day than what you consume. A loss of 1 lb. of weight is equal to a reduction of 3,500 calories.
Step 3
Set a goal for weight loss. It is recommended you set a weight loss goal of 1 to 2 lbs. per week for healthy weight loss. So, if you have eight weeks to lose weight before your physical, aim for a realistic weight loss goal of 8 to 16 lbs.
Change Your Diet and Increase Physical Activity
Step 1
Review your food diary to determine foods you eat each day that are high in calories and fat. Replace these high calorie foods with fruits, vegetables and lean meats.
Step 2
Reduce your consumption of sugary beverages. Instead, drink water or other low-calorie beverages.
Step 3
Eat smaller portions of higher calorie foods. Be sure to review the labels of packaged foods to find out how many servings are in each package. For instance, you might like ice cream. One cup of ice cream has approximately 267 calories. If you eat a half cup of ice cream, then you will only consume around 134 calories. You will feel less deprived if you eat smaller portions of high calorie foods instead of totally eliminating them from your diet.
Step 4
Start a daily physical activity program if you are inactive. Add 10 minutes of physical activities to your daily routine twice a day, like taking the stairs or walking around your office or school. Once you can do this without any health problems, like feeling dizzy, increase your physical activity to 30 minutes a day three to five times per week. Then start to do more intense activities like bicycling, jogging, or swimming. If you currently exercise, add additional vigorous exercise to your daily routine. If you are an adult, you should exercise for 150 minutes each week. If you are a child or teenager, you should exercise 60 minutes each day.
Things You'll Need
- Food diary
- Calorie counting website
- Calculator
- Exercise clothing
References
- National Institutes of Health: Balance Food and Activity
- "Nutrition Reviews"; Impact of water intake on energy intake and weight status: a systematic review; Melissa C. Daniels, Barry M. Popkin; 2010
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Aim for a Healthy Weight
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for Everyone
- "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise"; Compendium of Physical Activities: An Update of Activity Codes and MET Intensities; Barbara E. Ainsworth, et al.; 2000
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