A healthy eating plan and exercise regimen helps you reach your weight goal gradually and gives you the tools you need to maintain a healthy weight over time. Set short term and long term goals to keep you motivated. Achieving an initial weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your body weight provides health benefits and can encourage you to keep going.
Identification
You establish a calorie deficit when you take in fewer calories than you expend, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Your body uses a certain amount of calories or energy to perform routine activity and automatic functions such as breathing, heart beat and circulation. When you consume more calories than you use, you create a calorie excess and gain weight. You can create a calorie deficit by eating fewer calories, increasing your calorie expenditure through exercise or a combination of the two.
Significance
A consistent calorie deficit leads to weight loss. However, if you limit your caloric intake too severely to achieve weight loss, you are more likely to gain the weight back. You increase your chances of losing weight and keeping it off if you lose weight at a gradual pace. A healthier approach to weight loss is to create a deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories through a combination of diet and exercise, according to Medline Plus.
Effects
A loss of 1/2 to 2 lbs. per week is a healthy goal, according to the Weight-control Information Network. Cutting calories by 250 a day fosters weight loss at a rate of 1/2 lbs. per week. A daily deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories promotes weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs. per week, respectively. If you cut your daily calories by 250 and burn 250 calories a day during exercise, your cumulative calorie deficit will enable you to lose around 1 lb. per week.
Features
Healthy weight loss includes a balanced eating plan. Refer to the Food Tracking Worksheet provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that matches your calorie goal to help you identify serving recommendations from each group. Following a balanced eating plan ensures adequate nutrition within an appropriate calorie target. Gradually introduce exercise into your routine to help you reach and maintain your goal weight.
Considerations
Adopt a regular exercise regimen to help you reach your weight loss goal. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 60 minutes or more of aerobic activity on most days of the week to promote weight loss. If you have a history of heart problems or have risk factors for chronic disease, the guidelines recommend consulting with a health care professional to design an appropriate exercise program.
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