Maintaining a normal weight is one of the keys to keeping the organism healthy and fit. Weight gain does not only affect the person’s appearance, but it also causes severe changes in the way the body functions. Such changes lead to an inevitable worsening of overall well-being and can cause serious health problems. On the contrary, weight loss benefits the person with a good outlook, better self-confidence, and improved health. There are numerous theories considering different ways of losing weight. It is necessary to consider all specifics of this process and take further actions by appropriate guidelines on growing thin.
Weight Loss and Calories
Losing weight is the process of changing the balance of calories so that the person eats fewer calories than he/she uses (“Losing Weight” par. 2). Therefore, knowing how much calories the person eats every day is the key to fast weight loss, as the person eating more or the same amount of calories than he/she uses will gain or maintain the same weight. Most people eager to grow lean need to eliminate nearly five hundred calories per day by changing the diet or doing more exercise to lose one pound every week (Zelman par. 3).
However, it is very important to be careful while defining the number of calories the person can cut from the diet, as extensive subtraction of calories from the diet can lead to loss of physical power and serious health problems. Consulting the doctor before changing the diet the person is used to is of vital importance as certain health conditions directly depend on the eating style. Besides, the process of eliminating calories should be stepwise as the body needs to adjust to the new diet.
Changing the Diet
Defining the products that need to be avoided during losing weight is one of the first steps towards achieving the discussed goal. Most nutritionists advise eliminating the products containing an extensive amount of calories, including those that contain starches, added sugars, and animal fat (Zelman par. 8). Therefore, such products as potato chips, wheat flour, chocolate, cola, sweetened fruit juice, biscuits, fruit yogurt, tomato ketchup, pork meat, certain dairy food, etc. should be eliminated from the diet. Eating more fruits and vegetables is highly recommended, as such products do not include many calories and help the organism to digest the food better (Zelman par. 9).
Drinking plenty of water is another important step towards losing weight as it helps to suppress the appetite and help to boost the metabolism. Besides, it helps to cleanse the body from the waste gained after the years of eating unhealthy foods. Defining the amount of water that should be consumed per day depends on the size of the body, the level of physical activity, and the season of the year.
Diet Tips
While there is a huge amount of information about the changes in diet that lead to weight loss, making the new eating style a part of the person’s everyday life is not an easy task to complete. Keeping the diet is a challenging and often stressful process that requires following certain rules to make it easier and more comfortable. First, the person has to substitute the bad foods with the alternatives that help to feel full, e.g. vegetables.
Eating often but in small portions will help to lose weight and keep the body capable of physical work. Removing all tempting food from the home will help to decrease the stress and eliminate the source of temptation. Staying busy is another method of avoiding eating too much because of the plenty of free time and lack of activities. Keeping a food journal is another method of controlling the calorie intake and motivating the person to go on a healthy diet.
Physical Exercising
Physical activity plays a crucial role in the process of losing weight. Though keeping the diet can help to lose weight, only combining it with doing exercises can bring fast and long-term results (Wing and Phelan 222S). Jogging, bicycling, visiting fitness clubs, swimming or any other form of physical activity help the body to burn calories and lose pounds (Wing and Phelan 223S). Cardio exercises appear to be among the most effective for the fast fat burn.
However, the person willing to start doing regular exercises should do it carefully, as abrupt changes in the level of physical activity can cause severe stress to the body and bring more harm than benefit. Besides, it is necessary to consult the doctor before starting doing exercises, as certain health conditions need thoughtful planning of physical activity not to worsen existing health problems.
Making the body slimmer benefits both physical health and outward appearance. The process of losing weight can be fast and relatively easy if the person follows certain rules. Changing the diet and doing more exercises are the most important keys to losing extra pounds and maintaining healthy body weight. Eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, and leading the life that includes much physical activity help to succeed in long-term weight loss.
Works Cited
Losing Weight. 2014. Web.
Wing, Rena, and Suzanne Phelan. “Long-Term Weight Loss Maintenance.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 82 (2005): 222S-225S. Web.
Zelman, Kathleen. Lose Weight Fast: How to Do It Safely. n.d. Web.