The only proven way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn. That's not to say that you should eat as little as possible; consuming too few calories can actually hinder your progress because your body enters starvation mode and holds onto everything you put in it to survive. Cutting calories is a balancing act that should be done carefully and thoughtfully for safe, lasting weight loss.
Step 1
Consult your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to diet. Discuss your goals and ask if she has any specific recommendations for your particular situation.
Step 2
Use an online calculator to determine your basal metabolic rate. This is the amount of calories you body needs to stay alive, and it is based on your age, weight, height, gender and activity level. Your BMR can account for 60 to 75 percent of the calories you use in a day.
Step 3
Determine how many calories you burn during exercise in a typical day. Use a heart rate monitor and time your workout --- at the end of the workout, it will give you an estimate of your calories burned.
Step 4
Add your calories burned to your BMR. This is the number of calories you should eat per day to maintain your weight.
Step 5
Subtract 500 from your total calories. This is the number of calories you may eat per day to lose 1 lb. per week.
Step 6
Figure out how you would like to create the 500-calorie per day deficit. You can cut the 500 calories from your diet, burn them off through exercise or a combination of both. Cutting 250 calories is the equivalent of half of a muffin, and jogging for 20 minutes will burn off the other 250. It doesn't have to be drastic.
Step 7
Eat more low-calorie foods instead of less high-calorie food. This way, you won't feel deprived or hungry, and you're more likely to stick to your diet.
Step 8
Find ways to add additional activity to your day. Things like parking far away, taking the stairs and walking the dog all add up and may allow you to eat more calories than you would otherwise.
Tips and Warnings
- Keep your goals realistic. Aim to lose 2 lbs. per week maximum. Losing weight any faster can be unhealthy and will most likely be water weight that will come back as soon as you begin eating normally again.
- Never cut calories below 1,200 per day for women or 1,500 per day for men.
Things You'll Need
- Heart rate monitor
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