It seems like just about everyone wants to lose a little weight – and there is a lot of confusing information out there about the best or fastest way to lose weight.
Well, it's actually very simple – you need to burn more calories than you eat.
Unfortunately, it's not easy to do that. Most people eat too many high-calorie foods (I'm definitely guilty of this) and don't exercise enough to burn all the excess calories. Also, metabolism varies among individuals, depending on many factors including current weight, activity levels, and even thyroid health, so figuring out exactly how many calories you need to eat to lose weight can be tough. And eating too little can actually slow your metabolism, making it harder for you to lose weight.
So here are some tips to help you if you are trying to lose a few pounds:
- First, write down everything you eat for a week in a food journal to find out how many calories you are really consuming during a typical day. Then see where you can cut 100-200 calories – maybe you didn't need the extra cookie, or you could have a glass of water instead of a soda?
- Next, write down all the exercise you do for a week, and then try to increase the amount of exercise you do each day to between an hour and an hour and a half. You can find activities to do for 10 minutes at a time, and fit them in throughout your day, or plan an activity such as a run or working out at the gym that you do for the whole hour. If you are new to exercising, start with easy things like walking so that you don't injure yourself while you are getting into shape, and talk to your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to do the type of workouts you plan on trying.
- Eat more raw veggies. Veggies don't have very many calories, so you can eat what seems like a lot of food without sabotaging your weight loss goals. Plus they have vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants which are good for your health. You can buy pre-cut veggies for snacking at most grocery stores, so it's easy to have them on hand. Just try to avoid eating them with high-calorie dips and salad dressings!
- Try strength training. Muscle is denser than fat, meaning that a pound of muscle takes up less room than a pound of fat – so you will look thinner, without losing weight, if you turn some of your body fat into muscle. Plus, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even when you aren't working out.
- Sign up for an exercise class. If you have paid for a class, you will feel more obligated to show up each week, so this can be good for people who have a hard time staying motivated to exercise. There are so many fun fitness classes these days – you could learn ballroom dancing, try yoga, learn a martial art, or train with a group for an event like a bike race or triathlon. Also, a good fitness instructor will teach you how to exercise safely, which is important.
Most of us know that we need to eat less and work out more, but it is so hard to actually do it. I really recommend finding an activity you enjoy for exercise, and doing it several times a week. If you are a member of a gym that offers a variety of fitness classes, try them all and see what you like doing. It is SO much easier to commit to an hour a day of exercise if you look forward to what you are doing. That is my number one fitness tip! It is how I've lost more than 20 pounds of pregnancy weight.
As for eating less, when I figure out a way to get myself to do it, I'll be sure to share!
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I'm using the excuse that once I get a Wii Fit, I will surely LOVE to workout.
Of course – those are hard to FIND right now.
Those are superb tips! It cannot be emphasized enough how important writing down exercise and food intake is when you are really serious about losing weight.
When you have very specific health & fitness goals, writing them down and keeping a log of your daily activities and food intake really keeps you on track.