It's pretty common to find people who want to shed a few pounds, may ten, twenty or more. It is also common to not know where to begin. In this article, you will walk away with a general idea of how to kickstart your weight loss!
YOU DON'T HAVE TO STARVE YOURSELF! Starving yourself will actually do the opposite of what you want. When you do eat again, your body will hold onto the food for fuel just in case it has to go through starvation again.
The first thing to do is to figure out how many calories you need per day to lose 1 pound per week. In general, this 500 calories less than what it takes to maintain your weight. This is completely individual and it depends on your height, weight, and frame size, as well as your gender. The absolute minimum you should be consuming is 1200 calories. If you want to lose 2 pounds per week (the max recommended per week) you would have to burn an additional 500 calories daily, OR 3500 calories (1 pound) per week.
After you know what amount of calories you need per day, then divide up the calories so each meal will have the same amount of calories and you have 2 snacks- 1 between breakfast and lunch, and another between lunch and dinner.
What foods should you cut out? Try cutting out anything with added sugar, which eliminates almost all processed food. Fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, all are different forms of sugar. In doing this, you will also avoid High Fructose Corn syrups and other additives that really are not the best for you. In addition, try to avoid Aspartame, which is a calorie free sugar substitute put into desserts and foods to lower the calorie count. Aspartame contains trace amounts of formaldahyde, a chemical used to preserve bodies when they have died.
This also means pretty much cutting out desserts and sweets. Those can be added in sparingly when you have reached your ideal weight loss goal, or have reached a personal goal you have set for yourself (for example reaching the halfway point in your weight loss). In doing this, you will be able to control yourself more. When you cut something completely out for a while, and add it back in sparingly, you will often have a greater sense of control.
Foods to limit- limit breads and things made with flour. Fruit, although healthy and full of nutrients, is also high in sugar. So, do eat fruit, but don't get carried away and eat huge bowls of grapes.
You can plan your meals however you would like, but it is easier if you follow a formula. Each meal should have some form of protein- eggs, chicken, turkey, lean beef, and fish. Breakfast and lunch should have some form of fruit, and lunch and dinner should have some form of vegetable, with a salad at dinner.
Your next step is to get active. The goal is to be active most days of the week. If you can do something active 4 days out of the week, then you will see results, and extra points if you can be active more days of the week. Doing a combination of weight lifting and cardio (yes girls should lift weights!) will be beneficial, because as you lose fat with diet and cardio, you will be shaping and toning your muscles at the same time.
Some things to remember:
1. Healthy weight loss is gradual, but permanent. Try to be patient.
2. Avoid extreme diets. If you can't see yourself sticking to it for a whole year, then it isn't the right plan for you.
3. Have your ultimate weight loss goal, and then break it up into smaller goals to make it seem more doable.
4. Reward yourself. Weight loss is tough, and can be really trying to your mind and body. So when you reach one of your small goals, reward yourself. Not with food, but with a new pair of jeans, shoes, or anything else you've been wanting.
5. View food as just food. Food isn't a friend- it doesn't give any feedback or talk to you. Food is to keep you nourished. It can taste great, but using it as a means to cheer you up will only hurt your weight loss.
There you have it, the basics of weight loss. The rest is up to you. I encourage you to read and research healthy ways of eating and exercising!
YOU DON'T HAVE TO STARVE YOURSELF! Starving yourself will actually do the opposite of what you want. When you do eat again, your body will hold onto the food for fuel just in case it has to go through starvation again.
The first thing to do is to figure out how many calories you need per day to lose 1 pound per week. In general, this 500 calories less than what it takes to maintain your weight. This is completely individual and it depends on your height, weight, and frame size, as well as your gender. The absolute minimum you should be consuming is 1200 calories. If you want to lose 2 pounds per week (the max recommended per week) you would have to burn an additional 500 calories daily, OR 3500 calories (1 pound) per week.
"Starving yourself will actually do the opposite of what you want!"
After you know what amount of calories you need per day, then divide up the calories so each meal will have the same amount of calories and you have 2 snacks- 1 between breakfast and lunch, and another between lunch and dinner.
What foods should you cut out? Try cutting out anything with added sugar, which eliminates almost all processed food. Fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, all are different forms of sugar. In doing this, you will also avoid High Fructose Corn syrups and other additives that really are not the best for you. In addition, try to avoid Aspartame, which is a calorie free sugar substitute put into desserts and foods to lower the calorie count. Aspartame contains trace amounts of formaldahyde, a chemical used to preserve bodies when they have died.
This also means pretty much cutting out desserts and sweets. Those can be added in sparingly when you have reached your ideal weight loss goal, or have reached a personal goal you have set for yourself (for example reaching the halfway point in your weight loss). In doing this, you will be able to control yourself more. When you cut something completely out for a while, and add it back in sparingly, you will often have a greater sense of control.
Foods to limit- limit breads and things made with flour. Fruit, although healthy and full of nutrients, is also high in sugar. So, do eat fruit, but don't get carried away and eat huge bowls of grapes.
You can plan your meals however you would like, but it is easier if you follow a formula. Each meal should have some form of protein- eggs, chicken, turkey, lean beef, and fish. Breakfast and lunch should have some form of fruit, and lunch and dinner should have some form of vegetable, with a salad at dinner.
Where To Start
- Don't starve yourself - it will only hinder the process
- Cut out sugar and processed food
- Plan your meals ahead of time
- Add weight lifting and cardio
- Reward yourself
Your next step is to get active. The goal is to be active most days of the week. If you can do something active 4 days out of the week, then you will see results, and extra points if you can be active more days of the week. Doing a combination of weight lifting and cardio (yes girls should lift weights!) will be beneficial, because as you lose fat with diet and cardio, you will be shaping and toning your muscles at the same time.
Some things to remember:
1. Healthy weight loss is gradual, but permanent. Try to be patient.
2. Avoid extreme diets. If you can't see yourself sticking to it for a whole year, then it isn't the right plan for you.
3. Have your ultimate weight loss goal, and then break it up into smaller goals to make it seem more doable.
4. Reward yourself. Weight loss is tough, and can be really trying to your mind and body. So when you reach one of your small goals, reward yourself. Not with food, but with a new pair of jeans, shoes, or anything else you've been wanting.
5. View food as just food. Food isn't a friend- it doesn't give any feedback or talk to you. Food is to keep you nourished. It can taste great, but using it as a means to cheer you up will only hurt your weight loss.
There you have it, the basics of weight loss. The rest is up to you. I encourage you to read and research healthy ways of eating and exercising!
Most Helpful Opinions