If you have medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular problems, talk to your doctor before starting a diet and exercise plan. [2] X Expert Source Pouya Shafipour, MD, MSBoard Certified Family Medicine Specialist Expert Interview. 8 May 2020. Many factors, including age, current weight, and overall physical health, should be discussed with your doctor in order to safely start a diet and exercise plan. [3] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
While it may be tempting to pursue fad diets with promises of fast weight loss, a slow and steady approach is the healthiest way to lose weight. [5] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source It also provides ample time for your skin to adjust and helps you lose the weight without developing loose skin. While fad diets may help you drop weight quickly, they are not sustainable long term and once you stop the fad diet, you often gain back the weight plus more.
As an example, a moderately active 35-year-old female needs to consume about 2000 calories per day to maintain her current weight. A target goal of 1400 to 1600 calories per day will create a situation of weight loss for this person. Daily calorie goals factor in age, sex, and level of physical activity. Some medical conditions can be a factor that may also need to be considered.
For a successful healthy lifestyle change, it is important that your new plan fit into your life without too much difficulty. Adjusting how you eat and exercise is one thing, completely changing to foods you don’t normally eat and exercises you don’t enjoy will most likely not be successful long term. [8] X Expert Source Pouya Shafipour, MD, MSBoard Certified Family Medicine Specialist Expert Interview. 8 May 2020.
However, seeking to add additional physical activity (taking the stairs rather than the elevator, walking rather than driving, etc. ) can be a great way to reach your goals.
The formula to calculate BMI is a little confusing, but if you want to calculate your BMI, then follow these steps. Your BMI is your weight in kilograms (not pounds) divided by your height (in meters) squared. [17] X Research source Here is an example. For someone that is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds, the formula reveals the BMI to be 27. 3. [18] X Research source Convert the pounds into kilograms. Do this by multiplying the weight in pounds by 0. 45. So 165 x 0. 45 = 74. 25. Next, convert the height to meters. 5 feet 6 inches is 66 inches. Multiply the 66 by 0. 025 to get 1. 65 meters. Then square that number by multiplying it against itself, so 1. 65 x 1. 65 = 2. 72. Divide the new weight number by the new height number; 74. 25 ÷ 2. 72 = 27. 3. This person’s BMI is 27. 3. [19] X Research source
Good protein sources include lean meats, beans, and fish. Nuts, seeds, and eggs are also protein sources. [23] X Research source Try to consume 3 servings per day of dairy products. Try to avoid cream cheese, cream, and butter. [24] X Research source Choose mostly grain products made from whole-grain. Some examples include whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, and brown rice. [25] X Research source Avoid packaged oatmeal, which often contains a lot of sugar. Fruits and vegetables contain fewer calories than most foods and are great sources of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. While fruits are a great choice, they do contain calories and sugars, so limit your daily intake to about 4 servings, which is about 2 cups. [26] X Research source
Follow these basic guidelines as you select frozen meals. Choose meals that include servings of lean meat, fish, or poultry, vegetables, and whole grains. Try to target meals that have 300 to 350 calories, 10 to 18 grams of total fat, less than 4 grams of saturated fat, less than 500 mgs of sodium, 5 grams or more of fiber, 10 to 20 grams of protein, and about 10% of the recommended daily values for vitamins and minerals.
Look up healthy recipe swaps for your favorite dishes so you won’t feel so restricted.
Some packaging can be misleading for marketing purposes, so looking at the nutrition label is essential.
Instead of talking about the foods you can no longer have, talk about all of the foods you are adding in like fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, etc. Shifting your mindset from restriction to addition can make a big difference.
You can pre-portion out servings of snack foods and leave them in your pantry to prevent overeating from the container. Grocery stores also have a lot of pre-portioned options.
Think about what you could have done differently, and plan ahead so you will be ready for those challenging events next time. [43] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source Avoid the “all or nothing” mentality. Just because you messed up once, doesn’t mean you can spiral out of control and have anything else you want. It happened, move on and don’t be so hard on yourself.
Sharing your goals can also prevent others from being bad influences when know you are serious about losing weight.
Four procedures are commonly done to help people lose weight. This type of procedure is called bariatric surgery. Two primary functions are provided by the available procedures. [46] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source The 2 functions include restriction, which physically limits the amount of food the stomach can contain, and malabsorption, which shortens the small intestine to reduce the number of calories and nutrients the body absorbs. [47] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source The 4 commonly performed procedures are called roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, and duodenal switch with biliopancreatic diversion. [48] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
