How to Lose Weight

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Seven Methods:Rules of ThumbLow-Calorie DietOther DietsBurn CaloriesStay Motivat
edBasal Metabolic Rate CalculatorsHelp Calculating Calories
Are you tired of carrying around the extra pounds? Or do you want to shed extra
weight once and for all? This article covers the basics including how to eat, ex
ercise and stay motivated to lose weight. It also covers some specific diets tha
t you may want to try in your journey to a smaller, healthier you. Before you st
art, think about what kind of weight you want to lose; fat, or just weight. If y
ou want to lose just weight, carry on. If you want to lose fat weight, follow th
ese steps, but add a workout plan.
Method 1 of 5: Rules of Thumb
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1Keep your own personal food diary and determine your weight loss goals upfront.
It is important that you determine a healthy weight for your age and height. So
metimes people want to lose weight to become very thin; this is not good for you
r health, so before you start ensure you know what are your weight loss goals. P
eople who keep food diaries, according to a study published in the Journal of th
e Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, lose an average of 6 pounds (2.75 kg) more
than people who don't keep a record of everything that they eat.[1] So force yo
urself to write down the good, the bad and the ugly. Keep these tips in mind:
Be exhaustive. Write it all down, including beverages. Don't pretend you didn't
have that extra glass of wine after dinner. If it goes into your stomach, it goe
s into the journal.
Be accurate. Record your portion sizes in your food diary. Also, read the ingred
ients list so that you can be accurate about serving sizes.
Be complete. Add detailed information about how your food was prepared (fried, b
oiled, grilled, etc.), and write down any added toppings or condiments that you
ate.
Be consistent. Carry your food journal everywhere that you go. As an alternative
, you can use a diet-tracking app on your smartphone or tablet.
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2Have a balanced diet. That means your diet should include appropriate amounts o
f food from all the food groups.
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3Avoid skipping meals. The same study found that people who ate at least 3 meals
per day lost more weight than people who didn't. The scientists speculate that
people who skip meals either overeat at their next meals because they're so hung
ry, or their bodies absorb more calories because they're in starvation mode from
skipping meals.
When you skip meals, your body stops breaking down fat and starts breaking down
muscle tissue. Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than other tissues, so
you're actually working against your goals.[2]
Make sure that you don't get hungry by eating small portions throughout the day
at regular intervals. Between your meals, eat a 150-calorie snack to keep your m
etabolism burning and to stave off hunger. Be sure that you don't eat a fattenin
g snack, such as sweets or crisps. When you're hungry, your body conserves calor
ies and slows down your metabolic processes.[3]
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4Eat food from home. Sure, going out for a power lunch helps you to see and be s
een, but researchers find that people who eat fewer meals from restaurants tend
to lose more weight.
When you eat at a restaurant, you have limited control over your portions. As a
result, you often eat more than you intended to eat. Try packing up half of it i
n advance and taking it home for tomorrow. Do this before you start eating so yo
u're not tempted to finish your gigantic portion.
Ordering from a restaurant menu doesn't give you complete information about how
your food is cooked or what ingredients are used. At home, you can substitute lo
wer-calorie ingredients or make recipes over so that they still taste great whil
e delivering healthier results.[4]
5Drink water and regularly. Studies show that people who drink more water tend t
o have less weight. Water has the double effect of both hidratating your body an
d filling your stomach with a certain volume of a liquid that has zero calories.
The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is ro
ughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2
liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.
It may be best to drink cold water because the body will need to expend calories
to heat the water to body temperature.
Drinking water about 30 minutes before meals can reduce the amount of calories p
eople end up consuming, especially in older individuals. Research showed that di
eters who drank half a liter of water before meals lost 44% more weight over a p
eriod of 12 weeks, compared to those who didnt.
Method 2 of 5: Low-Calorie Diet
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1Learn to love fruit. Fruit helps to satisfy your sweet tooth thanks to its natu
ral sugars. It also contains fiber to help you feel full quickly. Try some of th
ese tips to introduce more fruit into your diet:
Choose fruit that's in season. When you eat apples in the fall, for instance, or
cherries in late summer, you are eating fruit at the peak of its flavor. It's g
oing to be a much more satisfying experience.
Eat freshly cut fruits like melons or pineapple chunks as snacks (they're delici
ous) .
Keep a bowl filled with fruit on your kitchen counter or in your refrigerator. A
lso, keep dried fruit and fruit canned in water on hand in case your fresh produ
ce goes bad. [5]
Prepare a large fruit salad containing mostly berries as well as other fruit tha
t won't go bad quickly, like pineapples or orange chunks. Toss in some walnuts a
nd refrigerate the fruit salad for up to a week. Grab a cupful for breakfast or
eat it as a dessert.
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2Eat vegetables for nutrition and to help you fill up more quickly. When you mak
e your lunch or dinner plate contain at least 50 percent vegetables, you can hav
e other richer dishes on your plate in smaller portions. Add veggies to your pla
te by following some of these suggestions:
Enjoy vegetables that contain potassium. Vegetables like sweet potatoes, spinach
and lentils will ensure that you get the potassium that you need.
Use vegetables as a main dish. For example, make a stir-fry or a hearty salad an
d add just a few ounces of cooked chicken, salmon or almonds.
If you have a habit of eating out of boredom.Try chewing sugar free gum.
Eat crunchy vegetables as snacks. Cut up celery, carrots, peppers, broccoli or c
auliflower and dip them in a light salad dressing or hummus.
Take advantage of frozen vegetables. They cook quickly in the microwave when you
're in a hurry to fix dinner.[6]
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3Learn to eat whole grains instead of refined foods.[7]
Substitute whole-grain foods for refined carbohydrates. Try whole wheat bread, w
hole wheat pasta or brown rice.
Substitute whole wheat flour or oat flour into pancakes or baked goods. You migh
t need to add additional leavening ingredients, like wheat gluten.
Swap whole grains into traditional mixed dishes. For example, put barley in your
soup instead of rice or try a pilaf with barley, wild rice or brown rice.
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4Choose protein wisely. [8]
Select lean cuts of beef or extra-lean ground beef.
Try chicken breasts. If you use different cuts of chicken, then remove the skin.
Skip the fatty deli meats like bologna and salami. Choose lean turkey or roast b
eef as a replacement.
Vegetarians can get plenty of protein from soy, nuts, beans and seeds.
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5Eat low-fat dairy products including low-fat cheeses and nonfat yogurt. [9]
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6Consume healthy oils.[10] If you cook with oil, use a teaspoon of a healthy oil
such as olive oil or canola oil. Or instead of adding oil for flavor, add spice
s or vinegar.
7Make a meal plan, and stick to it. That can really help you know how many calor
ies you consume and compare them to how many calories you burn. It can also help
prevent extra snacking. Be realistic. If you like to eat out a lot, don't try t
o totally eliminate eating out. Instead, plan on eating home-cooked meals six da
ys a week. These home cooked meals should be balanced, with adequate fruit, vege
table, dairy, etc. Vegetable based dishes, as well as dishes with lean meat, gri
lled or baked food, and organic food are normally healthy. Do plan to consume sn
acks but try to make them healthy, for example, fresh vegetables with guacamole,
or oatmeal. Cut out high calorie dressings or sauces. Promise yourself that if
you can follow this for six weeks and exercise (if that is one of your goals), y
ou will treat yourself to a restaurant meal one day of the week.
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1Eat only naturally-occurring carbohydrates instead of processed carbohydrates.
Appropriate choices include carbohydrates that occur naturally in in fruit, vege
tables, milk, nuts, whole grains, seeds and legumes. Avoid processed foods, like
white bread, semolina pasta or crackers, or processed sweets like candy bars or
sugary vegetables.[11]
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2Know the risks of living low-carb. If you stay on a low-carb diet long-term, yo
u could increase your risk for heart disease and bowel cancer because you'll be
eating so many products made from fat and animal tissue. Other less serious risk
s include:
Headache
Dizziness
Weakness
Fatigue and poor concentration
Constipation
Bad breath
Method 3 of 5: Other Diets
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1Follow the Paleo Diet and eat like a caveman. Sounds crazy, right? You won't ha
ve to hunt mammoth on the plains. Instead, you focus on eating the foods that ou
r hunter/gatherer ancestors would have eaten, such as:
Grass-produced meat
Fish and seafood
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Eggs (omega-3 eggs enriched are best)
Seeds and nuts
Healthy oils like olive oil, walnut oil and coconut oil[12]
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2Try a Raw Food Diet. Are you sick of slaving over a hot stove? Then stick to ra
w foods. The Raw Food Diet requires 75 percent of your dietary intake to be unco
oked. Most people eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and bea
ns. Follow these tips when you're on a raw food eating plan:[13]
Eat a lot of iron. Good sources include tofu, cashews, almonds and legumes.
Stock up on calcium. Eat bok choy, soybeans, figs, tempeh and cabbage.
Take Vitamin B-12 supplements. You can also eat nutritional yeast, fortified bre
akfast cereals and fortified soy milk.
Eat omega-3 fatty acids. You can take a supplement along with eating flaxseed an
d walnuts. You should also use oils rich in omega-3s, like canola, soybean, flax
seed and walnut oils.
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3Follow the Sonoma Diet. If you love the flavors of wine country, then you will
love this diet. The Sonoma Diet emphasizes whole foods and calls on you to ditch
processed foods with added sugar, foods made from refined white flour and food
containing saturated fats. Here's the lowdown on the Sonoma Diet:[14]
Start with Wave 1. Wave 1 is a lot like the induction period on Atkins or South
Beach. You'll ditch the carbs in favor of foods like vegetables, nuts, lowfat co
ttage cheese and soba noodles.
Progress to Wave 2. In Wave 2, you can add fruit, a wider variety of vegetables,
sugar-free sweets and 6 ounces (175 ml) of wine daily.
End on Wave 3 when you reach your goal weight. On Wave 3, you can pretty much ha
ve any food that isn't processed or full of hydrogenated fat. Reserve sweets for
special occasions, and seek out exotic vegetables and fruits to keep things int
eresting.
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4Join a commercial diet plan. If you prefer to eat whatever you want and to meet
weekly with other people who are losing weight, then try Weight Watchers. If yo
u prefer prepared meals so that you don't have to cook, try Jenny Craig or Nutri
System.
Method 4 of 5: Burn Calories
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1Introduce basic aerobic/cardio exercise. Start with a small goal of 30 minutes,
3 times per week if your aren't exercising at all currently. Try these steps to
get yourself going:[15]
Buy a pedometer. Attach the pedometer to your belt and try to take 5,000 steps d
aily. Move up to a goal of 10,000 to 15,000 steps as you get in better shape.
Invest in good shoes. Go to an athletic shoe store and buy shoes designed for a
specific sport if you are trying an activity like running. Otherwise, just buy s
ome good all-around cross-training shoes. Spend some money; your health is worth
the investment.
Start by walking. Walking around your neighborhood costs nothing and is a great
way to start moving. You can also try other low-impact exercises like swimming,r
iding a bike or slow running.
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2Work out on machines at the gym. You can use a treadmill, an elliptical trainer
, a stationary bike, a rowing machine or a stair climber. Start with short sessi
ons and gradually add minutes as you get more fit. Also, use the settings on the
machines to increase the intensity as you lose weight.
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3Take a class. You can take a traditional aerobics class or try something differ
ent, such as:
Kickboxing: Kickboxing combines moves from martial arts, aerobics and boxing for
a great cardio workout.[16]
Jazzercise: Every Jazzercise group dance fitness class combines dance-based card
io with strength training and stretching to sculpt, tone and lengthen muscles fo
r maximum fat burn. Jazzercise is a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, P
ilates, yoga, and kickboxing.[17]
Zumba: Zumba combines Latin music with easy dance moves. Because it alternates f
ast and slow movements, Zumba is a great vehicle for interval training.[18]
Pilates: These exercises developed by Joseph Pilates are designed to strengthen
your core muscles and lengthen you limb muscles. Many dancers use Pilates as par
t of their fitness regimens.
Yoga: Yoga will help you to improve your breathing and mental focus while also i
ncreasing your strength and flexibility. Yoga is also a great stress reliever.[1
9]
Martial arts: You can go for something traditional, like karate or taekwondo, or
you can try something more modern like mixed martial arts (MMA).
Boot camp: A boot camp workout will employ calisthenics like pushups, lunges and
crunches as well as sprints or other interval training based on military boot c
amp training.
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4Get into strength training. Again, start small, aiming for 1 or 2 15-minute ses
sions per week until you feel motivated to do more.
Do exercise that work multiple muscle groups. If you do exercises that work out
large groups of muscles instead of focusing on specific muscles, you'll save tim
e and actually burn more calories. Try some of these examples:
Start with squats paired with an overhead dumbbell press to work your lower body
and upper body at the same time.
Perform resistance exercises while sitting or reclining on an exercise ball. You
'll strengthen your core while simultaneously working on other areas.
Use machines and free weights. These tools tend to focus on particular muscle gr
oups like the arms, shoulders, thighs, glutes and upper back. Do these more focu
sed exercises after you work on exercises for multiple muscle groups.
Rest at least one full day between strength training workouts so that your muscl
es can recover. Recovery will help you to avoid pain and injury.
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5Play a sport. Join a local volleyball team or softball team, or join a tennis l
eague.
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6Enlist a personal trainer. A personal trainer will provide a customized workout
for your fitness level and your goals. Look for someone from the American Colle
ge of Sports Medicine or from the National Strength and Conditioning Association
.[20]
Method 5 of 5: Stay Motivated
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1Make a bet with a friend or group of friends.[21] Commit to losing a certain am
ount of weight by a certain date with the caveat that you'll pay up if you don't
lose. You may enjoy starting up a Biggest Loser Club at work or with your frien
ds, or you can investigate a weight loss betting website like HealthyWage.com.
2Don't be too hard on yourself. It means don't beat yourself unproductively in c
ase you slack in the routine you have been trying to follow, for example if you
missed one day to exercise, ate too much, ate junk food etc. Research has proven
that if you beat yourself unproductively over a mistake, you are more likely to
make the same mistake again in the future. There would always be ups and downs
towards your goal, but remember its the achievement in the long run that matters
.
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3Set mini-goals. Instead of thinking that you need to lose 20 pounds, think that
you want to lose 1 to 2 pounds this week. Or you can focus on non-pound goals l
ike skipping after-dinner snacks this week or only drinking alcohol on weekends.
[22]
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4Give yourself non-food rewards like a sports trip with a friend, a manicure or
pedicure, a massage or a trip to the movies when you meet your mini-goals. Get y
ourself that new shirt that you've been wanting if you meet your goal of losing
a pound this week.
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5Enjoy a treat now and then. If you're attending a party or going out for a spec
ial occasion, allow yourself an indulgence. Just make sure that these "indulgenc
es" don't become daily habits.[23]
Basal Metabolic Rate Calculators
Male Basal Metabolic Rate Calculator
Female Basal Metabolic Rate Calculator
Help Calculating Calories
Calories for Weight Loss Cheat Sheet
Calories for Weight Loss Calculator
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