Carrying excess weight puts you at a higher risk for a wide variety of diseases ranging from diabetes to certain cancers. When your weight balloons upward of 400 pounds, your risk for these diseases increases even more as you reach a morbidly obese status. However, even small amounts of weight loss can make a difference to your overall health. As such, it's important to take the journey one month at a time with a goal set to lead a healthier life.
Healthy Weight Loss Goal
Although popular television shows have demonstrated the ability to lose massive amounts of weight on a weekly basis, it's important to set healthy weight loss goals. MayoClinic.com recommends that you try to lose one to two pounds a week over a longer period of time through health-promoting activities. Losing smaller amounts of weight can still help you reach your goal, but does so in a way that increases your chances of long-term success.
Physician-Assisted Weight Loss
In the case of someone who is over 400 pounds, physician-assisted weight loss efforts may be needed. Under the supervision of a medical professional you may be able to lose larger amounts of weight each week, which is usually reserved for patients whose weight is contributing to serious health problems. Physician-assisted weight loss may involve extremely low-calorie dieting, supplements, medications, or other therapies to help you lose weight in ways that may not be safe to perform on your own, which is why a physician's supervision is used.
How to Lose Weight
When approaching weight loss on your own it's important to keep in mind the most healthy ways to lose weight. Weight loss depends on creating a calorie deficit through a mixture of a healthy low-calorie diet and exercise. Your diet should not dip below 1,200 calories unless directed by a physician. In order to calculate a healthy daily calorie limit, use tools such as Livestrong.com's MyPlate, which calculates a daily calorie goal based on your individual information. As for exercise, strive to include the Centers for Disease Control recommended 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise each week, such as walking, swimming, or using machines in the gym such as an elliptical or stair-stepper.
Weight Loss Benefits
Losing even 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can produce a wide range of health benefits, from better blood sugar control to improvement in your blood pressure and cholesterol, says the CDC. Weight loss also reduces your risks for a wide range of chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis and even forms of cancer such as breast and colon cancer.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Weight Loss: 6 Strategies for Success; December 2010
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Losing Weight
- American Academy of Family Physicians: What it Takes to Lose Weight.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Activity Guidelines
- National Cancer Institute: Physical Activity and Cancer
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