Extreme diets rarely work. Many people starve themselves to drop weight fast, only to put it back on quickly. Yo-yo dieting is dangerous for your health and may lead to cardiovascular and metabolic disorders such as hypertension and diabetes, says Dr. Jean-Pierre Montani, professor and chair of physiology at the University of Fribourg, in an article called "The Ups and Downs of 'Yo-Yo' Dieting." To avoid yo-yo dieting and lose the weight for good, adopt a healthier lifestyle by making gradual changes to your diet and exercise routines over time.
Step 1
Start small. Reduce your intake of sugary, calorie-laden beverages, such as coffee-blended drinks and sodas, as advised by Alison E. Field in an USNews.com article entitled "The Ups and Downs of 'Yo-Yo' Dieting." Field is an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston.
Step 2
Begin with as little as 10 minutes of exercise per day. Even 10 minutes will make a difference and you will be more likely to stick to it than trying to jump to 30 to 60 minutes a day, the amount recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for weight loss.
Step 3
Work up to the 30-minute mark by doing as little as 10 to 20 percent more exercise each week, as advised by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). For example, walk for 10 minutes a day for one week and then walk for 12 minutes the next. Choose any activity you wish as long as you'll do it. Sessions suggests walking, in-line skating, biking, hiking and swimming, but says that any physical activity is okay.
Step 4
Give up your favorite processed foods one by one, eventually eliminating all processed foods, including any marketed as healthy. Processed foods labeled "low-fat" and "low-carb" likely include chemicals that your body is incapable of metabolizing, warns Certified Personal Trainer, Karen Sessions, NSCA in an article on Losing-Weight-Forever.com called "Weight Loss Truths." These foods may decrease the speed of your metabolism and make losing weight more challenging.
Step 5
Discover how many calories you need to eat daily to maintain your weight and then eat fewer calories than that. After cutting sugary beverages and processed foods, you should already be eating closer to your daily maintenance calories. Cut back with the help of an online calorie needs calculator (see the Resources section below). Record everything you eat in a food diary, such as the free ones offered online by SparkPeople.com.
Step 6
Recalculate your caloric needs once you have achieved the weight loss you desire. Eat your daily number of calories so you do not gain weight. Use your food diary to keep track of calories.
Step 7
Add strength training to your exercise routine. Start with one or two days a week and work up to three. Reducing your body fat and weight through cardiovascular exercise is only half of the exercise component necessary to keep weight off for good, according to Sessions. Strength training to increase lean muscle mass is also important. Try yoga or a group exercise class that uses free weights if you are not knowledgeable about weight training. A personal trainer could also help you learn how to lift weights and guide you on your quest for solidifying healthy habits as your way of life.
Things You'll Need
- Activity calculator
- Food diary
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