While being fat can make you feel and appear less attractive, the real side effects of living overweight are far more dangerous. According to the Women's Health website, obesity can lead to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and even some kinds of cancer. While you can resort to diet pills to help yourself lose weight, it is certainly possible--and much safer--to lose weight without them.
Step 1
Keep track of your calories. One basic and important factor to consider when it comes to weight loss is the importance of keeping track of the calories you consume and ensuring that more calories are burned than are absorbed. If you consume more calories on a particular day than usual, combat that by ramping up your exercise routine and burning a few more calories. The Health Status website has a calorie estimator to help people see how many calories they burn doing different activities.
Step 2
Make healthier food choices. If you refuse to make healthier choices, you will have little to no success when it comes to weight loss, regardless of whether you take pills. If you want to lose weight the natural way, make better food choices. Leafy greens, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, lean meats and healthy snacks like cheese and nuts are the best choices if you are looking to shed pounds. While you do not have to strike them from your diet completely, saturated fats and sodium should be controlled carefully and kept to a minimum.
Step 3
Watch what you drink. When you think about the quality of the foods you put into your body, it is easy to forget that what you drink counts as well. Limit fruit juices and soda. Replace these drinks with water or low-fat milk. Just one can of soda can add 150 calories to your total for the day.
Substitute your normal drinks for water. Take note of the difference in your weight loss endeavors. Not only will your body function more healthily and effectively, but the decrease in calories will promote weight loss.
Step 4
Get and stay active. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans says that at least 10 minutes of physical activity every day is extremely important. The report also recommends that aerobic activities and strength training both be employed as a part of any good exercise regimen.



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