Losing weight without medicine is possible if you are willing and able to adopt an exercise plan and a healthy eating plan. In order to lose weight rapidly, you would have to resort to a crash diet or fad diet. These diets are unhealthy because they severely restrict or totally eliminate one or more food groups. While losing weight at a very rapid weight may seem tempting, a healthier option is to lose 1 to 2 lbs. per week.
Step 1
Keep your goals in mind. Set a long-term goal that notes your final weight loss goal, as well as short-term goals that are fairly easy to reach so that you can stay motivated. Write your goals down on a sheet of paper and mark them off as you reach them. You can also add rewards for reaching your goals. However, stay away from food-based goals.
Step 2
Get active. The key to losing weight is to burn more calories than you eat. That means that the more you exercise, the more you can lose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that people trying to lose weight exercise for a minimum of 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week. The activity should be of moderate intensity, such as brisk walking, swimming or bicycling.
Step 3
Increase the number of steps you take each day with a goal to take at least 10,000 steps per day. Wearing a pedometer is an easy way to track your total steps each day. In order to take more steps, you can park as far away from your office or a store as possible. You can walk around outside during breaks from work or after meals.
Step 4
Eat a healthy diet. Your diet should include a limited amount of fats, such as mayonnaise or salad dressings. It should include low-fat dairy products, such as yogurt, milk and cheese. Whole grains like cereals and bread should also be included. Lean proteins, such as fish, chicken and lean cuts of beef should be eaten. Nuts and beans can be substituted for lean meats. The majority of your diet should be comprised of fruits and vegetables.
Step 5
Read nutritional labels to determine the correct serving size of the foods you eat. Eating a serving that is too large can wreak havoc on your diet.
Step 6
Drink water to stay hydrated. If you have trouble drinking water, mix a no-calorie drink mix into your water to add flavor. You can opt to add a slice of lemon, orange, strawberry or other fruit to a cup of water. Stay away from sodas and other calorie-laden beverages, as these add empty calories to your diet.
Tips and Warnings
- Pack healthy snacks to take with you if you will be away from home for an extended period of time. Dried fruits, 100-calorie snack packs and rice cakes are some examples of snacks that are easy to pack.
- Resist the urge to skip meals or severely restrict your food intake, as both of these will slow your metabolism and make weight loss difficult. Ideally, you should follow the MyPyramid.com recommendations for your daily food intake.
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