Successfully managing your weight comes down to a simple
equation: If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. And if you
eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight. Sounds easy, right? Then why
is losing weight so hard?
Well for one, weight loss isn’t a linear event over time.
When you cut calories, you may drop a pound or so each week for the first few
weeks, for example, and then something changes. You eat the same number of
calories but you lose less weight. And then the next week you don’t lose
anything at all. That’s because when you lose weight you’re losing water and
lean tissue as well as fat, your metabolism slows, and your body changes in
other ways. So, in order to continue dropping weight each week, you’ll need to
continue cutting calories.
Secondly, while in essence a calorie is a calorie, your body
reacts differently to different types of food. So eating 100 calories of high
fructose corn syrup, for example, will have a different effect on your body
than eating 100 calories of broccoli. The trick for sustained weight loss is to
ditch the foods that are packed with calories but don’t make you feel full
(like candy) and replace them with foods that fill you up without being loaded
with calories (like vegetables).
Thirdly, losing weight in a healthy, sustainable way often
takes time. It requires patience and commitment. Extreme diets may promise
rapid results but they’re more likely to leave you feeling cranky and starving
and losing more cash than weight. Finally, there are emotional aspects of
eating that can trip you up. Many of us don’t always eat simply to satisfy
hunger. We also turn to food for comfort or to relieve stress—which can derail
any weight loss efforts before they begin.
The good news is that by making smarter choices every day,
adopting healthy lifestyle changes, and developing new eating habits, you’ll
not only lose weight and be able to keep it off, you’ll also improve your diet for weight
loss outlook and mood and have more energy.
Getting started with healthy weight loss
While there is no “one size fits all” solution to permanent
healthy weight loss, the following guidelines are a great place to start:
Think lifestyle change, not short-term diet. Permanent
weight loss is not something that a “quick-fix” diet can achieve. Instead,
think about weight loss as a permanent lifestyle change—a commitment to replace
high-calorie foods with healthier, lower-calorie alternatives, reduce your
portion sizes, and become more active. Various popular diets can help jumpstart
your weight loss, but permanent changes in your lifestyle and food choices are
what will work in the long run.
Find a cheering section. Social support means a lot.
Programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers use group support to impact
weight loss and lifelong healthy eating. Seek out support—whether in the form
of family, friends, or a support group—to get the encouragement you need.
Slow and steady wins the race. Aim to lose one to two pounds
a week to ensure healthy weight loss. Losing weight too fast can take a toll on
your mind and body, making you feel sluggish, drained, and sick. When you drop
a lot of weight quickly, you’re actually losing mostly water and muscle, rather
than fat.
Set goals to keep you motivated. Short-term goals, like
wanting to fit into a bikini for the summer, usually don’t work as well as
wanting to feel more confident, boost your mood, or become healthier for your
children’s sakes. When frustration and temptation strike, concentrate on the
many benefits you will reap from being healthier and leaner.
Use tools that help you track your progress. Keep a food
journal and weigh yourself regularly, keeping track of each pound and inch you
lose. By keeping track of your weight loss efforts, you’ll see the results in
black and white, which will help you stay motivated.
Source: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/diet-weight-loss/healthy-weight-loss-and-dieting.htm
