No magic weight loss formula exists. Losing pounds requires commitment to a low-calorie diet and increased activity. Although you may crave rapid weight loss, the American Heart Association warns against falling for fad diets that promise immediate results because they usually fail in the long run. A healthy rate of weight loss is 1 or 2 pounds per week. This may not be the speed which you desire, but it gives you a better chance of being successful in the long run.
Calorie Intake
LiveStrong’s The Daily Plate offers a place for you to compute your daily calorie expenditure. Consume 1,000 calories less than this burn rate to lose 2 pounds per week. If you abhor the idea of measuring each and every morsel that hits your lips, try using smaller plates and loading at least half with unsauced green vegetables. Leave 20 percent of your meals uneaten and cut out discretionary calories such as soda and sweets. Choose lean sources of protein like skinless chicken and white fish, sticking to 3-oz. portions. Do not cut out carbohydrates completely to speed weight loss as this may lead to low energy and an inability to adhere to your diet. Instead, choose half-cup servings of whole grains like brown rice and quinoa to provide fiber and B vitamins.
Eat Enough
The National Institutes of Health warns that you should not overly restrict calories in an effort to lose weight. Eating too few calories may actually derail your efforts, causing your body to store fat in fear of starvation. Go for at least 1,200 calories per day if you are a woman and 1,500 if you are a man. If this means you cannot hit a 1,000 calorie per day target deficit, then restructure your goals.
Include Certain Foods
Choosing to eat certain foods in your reduced calorie plan may hasten the rate at which you lose weight. Eating five servings of dairy per day causes more weight loss than three daily servings, according to researchers at Curtin University in Australia in 2009. A Purdue University study found that peanuts increase feelings of satiation and may induce a rise in the metabolism. A 2007 study, also out of Purdue, found that snacking on almonds also suppresses the appetite. Eating a greater percentage of daily calories from protein, as suggested in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” in 2005, may speed weight loss.
Move More
Formal exercise, such as strength training and cardiovascular exercise, increases your daily calorie burn and helps with weight loss. It also enhances your body composition by building lean muscle mass which makes you appear tighter and toned and helps with weight management. Experts at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, report that optimal long-term results for weight loss appear to be achieved when you burn at least 2,500 calories per week through exercise. Become more active in your daily life as well. Turn off the television and take a walk. Join a sports league or take a dance class. Even cleaning house burns significant calories. Become more animated–stand when you take phone calls and gesture more dramatically. A May 2005 issue of the “New York Times” reports that these movements can add up to 350 calories burned per day.
About this Author
With degrees from Princeton and Columbia University, Andrea Cespedes is also a professionally trained chef and has focused studies in nutrition. With over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, she coaches cycling and running and teaches pilates and yoga. She is an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer.
