Excess body weight is a major health concern in the United States. The American College of Sports Medicine estimates that over two-thirds of American adults are classified as overweight or obese. Losing weight takes a personal commitment to healthy lifestyle changes. Since everyone is different, no one can say exactly how long it will take you to reach your goal weight, but you can see some weight loss in two months.
Slow Weight Loss
Slow, steady weight loss is advised over rapid weight changes because you want to continually progress and not risk your health. The Mayo Clinic website advises losing only 1 to 2 lbs. per week. This moderate amount can be achieved through small changes to your diet and physical activity levels that do not interfere with your current lifestyle. Drastic measures do not work long term and may even cause your metabolism to slow down. This means you will stop losing weight and even may gain weight back.
Modifying Your Diet
Cut your caloric intake by only 10 to 20 percent, advises Nancy Clark, MS, RD, author of "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook." This will help you begin to lose weight, but you will still feel satiated. Eat a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, fats and protein. Choose whole grains such as brown rice, sweet potatoes and oats. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Include heart-healthy fats such as olive and nut oils over saturated fats like butter. When eating protein, choose lean cuts of beef, poultry and fish. Also, drink at least 64 oz. of water each day.
Exercise Recommendations
For significant weight loss, accumulate 225 to 420 minutes of moderate- to high-intensity exercise each week. Cardiovascular exercise should be done five to seven days each week for 30 to 60 minutes. Perform a variety of activities that you enjoy to avoid boredom and see continual progress. Perform resistance training exercise two to three days per week. Start with one set of eight to 12 repetitions and choose a weight that is challenging but allows you to complete each set with proper form. Do at least one exercise for each major muscle group.
Considerations
Start making changes slowly and realize that your health, age and gender may affect the pace of your weight loss. As you age, your body naturally loses muscle mass, which slows your metabolism and makes it more challenging to change your body weight. Men tend to lose weight more quickly than women due to testosterone. If you are being treated for a chronic medical condition and are on medications, check the side effects to see if weight gain is one of them. Always speak with your doctor before you begin a weight-loss program so you can do so in a healthful manner.
References
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Loss: 6 Strategies for Success
- "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook"; Nancy Clark, MS, RD; 2008
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
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