5 Keys to Lose Weight
This article will introduce to you the 5 keys to helping you lose weight permanently and reach your fitness goals.
Plan to Change Your Lifestyle
A major problem with many people is that they expect to diet for a short period of time, lose their desired amount of weight, then continue their old lifestyle of laziness and junk food. This will not work! If you want to achieve weight loss and keep it off, you have to set your mind on changing your lifestyle. It is not healthy to lose weight, then re-gain it, then re-lose it, and gain again (this is called “yo-yo dieting”). Permanent weight loss begins with your mindset, and your mindset must be of changing your unhealthy habits.
Set a Goal
Set a goal when you first begin your weight loss journey, and put this goal on paper and somewhere it is very visible. You want to see it in the morning and at night. You want it to be in your thoughts throughout the day so that it becomes borderline obession. Your goal can be a variety of things, including: (1) A specific weight you want to reach (2) A specific clothing size you want to reach (3) How you want to look. Make sure you monitor your progress on a weekly basis. That means step on the scale, try on those old jeans, or take a picture of yourself to keep track of your weight loss
Diet
Of course, a very important aspect of losing weight is proper diet and nutrition. You lose weight by burning fat. You burn fat by burning more calories than you consume. As a starting point, take your body weight and multiply it times ten. This number should give you approximately the number of calories you would burn if you lie around and slept all day. Depending on your level of physical activity, you can multiply this by a certain factor. If you get very little physical activity, multiply the number by 1.1-1.3.
If you get moderate physical activity, multiply by 1.3-1.5. If you get high physical activity, you can go as high as 1.8-2.0 (this is extremely high activity, such as outdoor labor work all day plus daily exercise). The way to ensure you are losing weight is to try to burn up to 1,000 more calories than you consume per day. This should lead to approximately 2 lbs. of weight loss per week. Anything over 1,000 calories a day and 2 lbs. of weight loss per week is excessive. When you first begin dietin, you may experience a more rapid weight loss. But after a while you should aim to lose between 1-2 lbs. a week.
Exercise
What is a weight loss plan without exercise!? Consistent physical activity is absolutely critical for anyone wanting to lose weight. Your frequency, duration, and intensity of exercise will depend on your fitness level. If you are just starting out on your weight loss journey, try 30-45 minutes of exercise 4 days a week. You can workout more often as you continue to improve your fitness level.
Of course, the type of exercise you should perform depends on your specific weight loss goals. If you just want to shed a few pounds for health purposes, walking, light jogging, or playing with the kids will do for your exercise. If you really want to transform your body you may have to incorporate more intense activities such as jogging, swimming, and weight training.
Sleep
Perhaps the most little known key aspect of weight loss is sleep. Your muscles cannot grow if you don’t get enough sleep. Your body cannot recover from your exercise without sleep. You will not have enough energy to pursue your weight loss goals day in and day out without getting proper sleep.
Generally, you want to get between 6-8 hours of sleep every night. If you have trouble getting to sleep or having really deep sleep, you may want to try a sleeping aid. Also, try to quiet your mind around 30 minutes or so before you go to bed. Your body will rest much better if your mind is calm.
Mike Brandon is an expert on weight loss and writes on health and fitness related issues. You can learn more by visiting my blog “Get In Shape” at http://loseweightideas.blogspot.com/
Author: Mike Brandon
