Losing weight and keeping it off takes a commitment to changing your eating and activity habits for life. Quick, temporary fad diets can do more harm than good - and may actually make it harder for you to lose weight and keep it off in the long run. Choose a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
If you are serious about losing weight, be sure to reduce your calories AND increase your physical activity. Walking is the most popular exercise for people who have lost weight and kept it off. Most of these individuals are active at least 60 minutes each day, and have made exercise part of their daily life.
Calories and weight loss:
- A healthy rate of weight loss is one to two pounds per week. If you are losing weight faster than that, you may be losing muscle weight.
- One pound of body fat is equal to 3,500 calories – to average one pound of weight loss per week, you need to create a 500 calories per day deficit, preferably through a combination of increased activity and decreased eating.
- For example, to lose one pound per week, you can burn 250 calories per day through exercise (equal to walking about 2½ miles) and reduce your calorie intake by 250 calories per day (equal to one 20 oz. soft drink).