If you want to lose weight in a healthy way then do not do anything drastic or foolish. Fad diets that severely limit calories or cut out entire food groups can put your health in jeopardy.
You can become vitamin and mineral deficit. You may lose fat in the short-term but you will gain it all back once you go back to eating the way you did before.
The key to getting rid of fat on your body is to take in fewer calories that you will have the time and energy to burn off. What this means is that you need to eat less and exercise more.
If you have lived a fairly sedate life up to now then don’t suddenly start exercising like your hair is on fire as this can lead to injuries and can put added stress on your body. Start out small we don’t want to get into an extreme weight loss mentality.
Develop Permanent Healthy Habits
Weight loss is not just about losing weight in the moment but about maintaining the weight in the days, weeks, months and years afterwards. View weight loss in terms of developing permanent habits that are healthy for yourself and ones that you will be able to keep up with. Maintaining your weight loss habits is the name of the losing fat game!
There are many myths about weight loss which you might want to check out here.
Introduce modifications to your diet and to your exercise plan gradually. Figure out what works for you and what doesn’t work.
Be More Physically Active
You do not have to work out at the gym every day in order to lose weight. Find creative ways to add more physical activity to your day-to-day life. Perhaps you could walk to the school to pick up your children instead of driving? Maybe you and your spouse could sign up for that salsa class that you have always wanted to take?
Exercise does not have to be overly exertive to be effective. Light exercises such as walking, gardening, mowing or playing badminton in the backyard can help burn calories. Not only will you lose weight but this will help keep your heart strong as well as keeping your muscles and joints limber. Read this post on why you need to walk and exercise.
Find a few different ways to enjoy exercise.
Perhaps you could find something to participate in with another person and something else you can do alone. Just put on your sneakers, bring your MP3 player and venture out for a walk in your neighborhood!
Eat Less Food
You need to reduce your daily caloric intake in order to get rid of excess fat on your body. Do a close inspection of your eating habits and figure out where your weaknesses lie. If necessary enlist the help of a dietitian to help you in making healthy food choices that will make weight loss a reality in your life. It is realistic and safe to aim for a weight loss of one to two pounds a week.
This may sound unattainable at first but if you are patient with yourself and work at it, you can do it. To reach this goal you must consume 300 to 500 calories less on a daily basis.
In order to reduce the calories you consume, follow these tips:
- Drink more water and less coffee, tea, juice and soda (with the exception of green tea which is good for attacking belly fat).
- Drink low fat or better yet, skim milk.
- Reduce your intake of butter (or margarine), mayonnaise and salad dressings.
- Enjoy the foods you like but in smaller portions.
- Don’t have seconds of anything!
- Drink less alcohol (or don’t drink at all).
- Stop eating unhealthy snacks between meals such as candy, cookies, chocolate bars or donuts. Instead opt for healthy snacks such as yogurt or celery sticks with cottage cheese.
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