Monitoring your weight loss progress can be motivating.
Trying to lose a large amount of weight by going on a crash diet that drastically restricts your caloric intake is unhealthy. Not only is most of the weight you lose coming from muscle tissue and water instead of fat, you also put yourself at risk for nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis and organ damage. To lose a large amount of weight, you have to incorporate a healthy diet and exercise routine that is easy to maintain over the long term.
Instructions
1. Lose weight gradually at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week. The Medline Plus website recommends cutting out 500 to 1,000 calories per day to achieve this. The website also states that women should not eat less than 1,200 calories per day and men should not eat less than 1,500 calories per day.
2. Start an exercise routine that incorporates cardiovascular exercise to burn calories and strength training to stimulate fat burning. Some examples of cardiovascular exercises are walking, jogging, biking or swimming. Lift weights that target all parts of your body. According to the Mayo Clinic website, you should build up your exercise regimen to get at least 30 to 60 minutes per day of moderately intense exercise on most days of the week.
3. Adjust your diet by choosing low-fat foods over full-fat foods. Avoid simple carbohydrates that cause blood sugar spikes. Consume slow digesting, filling carbohydrates such as oats, whole grains, brown rice and whole-wheat pasta. Eat unsaturated "healthy" fats such as canola oil and olive oil and avoid unhealthy saturated and trans fats such as butter, lard and cream. Fill up on vegetables and fruits, which have fiber.
4. Eat small, frequent meals spread out over the day so your metabolism stays active. Eating frequently will make you feel satiated and will keep you from feeling deprived. Your blood sugar level will stay stable and the urge to overeat will diminish. Try to include complex carbohydrates, unsaturated fats and lean protein in every meal.
5. Join a weight loss support group such as Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. Losing a large amount of weight can be somewhat easier if you have support, motivation and guidance along the way. These weight loss support groups don't teach you diet, but live healthfully and eat right.
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