Obesity, defined as an adult who has a body mass index of 30 or higher, continues to negatively affect our nation's health. Obese people have a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many other serious diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 72 million people, or a third of U.S. adults, and 16 percent of U.S. children are obese. However, there is a cure: eat healthy, exercise regularly, lose weight and feel better about yourself, both inside and out.
Step 1
Consult your physician before starting any exercise or weight-loss routine. You should discuss both your short-term and long-term goals as well as how diet and exercise may affect any pre-existing health conditions. If you are grossly obese, your physician also might want to intensely monitor your health and progress for the first couple of months.
Step 2
Build a support system and find someone to hold you accountable. Discuss with your friends and family why you want to lose weight and encourage them to be supportive. It may also help to find one or two people who are willing to begin the weight-loss journey with you. You are more likely to get out and exercise if you know your friends are waiting.
Step 3
Establish a routine and get moving. The secret to losing weight is that you must burn more calories than you consume. One pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, so if you burn 500 calories more than you consume each day, you will effectively lose one pound a week. To put it in perspective, a 190-pound person could burn 520 calories by swimming or hiking for one hour.
Step 4
Watch your servings. One serving of meat is 2 oz. to 3 oz., therefore a 12-oz. sirloin at your favorite steakhouse is really three to four servings. Also, be sure to read the nutritional label. Oftentimes a single can of soup or pasta contains two or three servings.
Step 5
Learn to substitute. Instead of drinking high-calorie sodas or juices with lot of sugar, instantly cut your calories with water. Also try substituting steamed vegetables for your side at dinner and have fresh fruit for dessert instead of chocolate cake or pie.
Step 6
Write it down. Start a food and exercise journal and record everything that goes in your mouth as well as when and how much you exercise. After a few days, you should start to notice a pattern evolve. You may also realize that you were eating more than you had thought or exercising less.
Tips and Warnings
- Websites such as FitDay offer free and easy ways to record your daily caloric intake.
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