How To Lose Weight

How To Lose Weight Fast

Losing weight is simple; Burn more calories than you consume.

Simple does not always mean fast and easy, though. If it was that fast or easy we would not have a population of overweight people. It is not as difficult as we think it is although there are no quick fixes. The belief that weight loss has to be a struggle leads people to do something drastic to achieve the results they want. Fast diet fads or extreme diets, pills or those weird fitness gadgets on infomercials that promise fast weight loss are not the answer.

The Secret Of How To Lose Weight

The real secret to weight loss is to make small changes every day. You’ll slowly but surely lose those extra pounds. The key is to focus on progress rather than perfection. You did not get this way overnight and you will not return to optimum health overnight either. The real secret is consistently and continuously making small changes that you can keep doing for the rest of your life.

How To Lose Weight Fast Naturally

There are no real fast weight loss solutions. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to do it naturally. To lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500 calories over and above what you already burn doing daily activities. That sounds like a lot of calories and you certainly wouldn’t want to try to burn 3500 calories in one day. However, by making one-day-at-a-time small changes that are natural for your body, you can burn those extra calories. Steps that are natural and follow a systematic approach to weight loss will assist you to lose weight naturally. Although it may not be fast, it will last forever.

Step By Step How To Lose Weight And Keep It Off

Losing weight takes effort, and putting time into figuring out the necessary steps is time well spent. These 4 steps will set you up for weight loss. www.MyPyramid.gov is one of the best websites to use as a resource when you want to lose weight and keep it off. The following steps may be calculated at the MyPyramid website to set you up for success.

• Calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Your BMR, basal metabolic rate, is what your body needs to maintain normal functions like breathing and digestion. You can calculate your BMR using a BMR calculator. This is the minimum number of calories you need to eat each day to stay alive. These calculators are just estimates.

• Calculate your activity calories burned. Keep a exercise journal for a week, then enter the info into the physical activity calculator at www.MyPyramid.gov ito figure out how many calories you burned in a week long period.

• Keep track of how many calories you eat. In your journal, log a week’s worth of eating then go to the  www.MyPyramid.gov website.

• Calculate the calories: Take your BMR number, add your activity calories, then subtract your food calories from that total. If you’re eating more than you’re burning, (your BMR + activity is 2000 and you’re eating 2400 calories) you’ll gain weight. If you’re burning more than you eat, you’ll lose weight.

Example:
Let’s say your BMR is 1400 calories and you burn 900 calories in daily activity with regular exercise, walking around and doing household chores. To maintain your current weight, you should be eating 2300 calories. After keeping a food journal, you find that you are eating 2550 calories every day. By eating 250 more calories than you burn on a continuous daily basis you will gain 2 pounds per month. That is how easy it is to gain weight without even knowing it.

How To Help Lose Weight

Once you understand this, it is easier to help yourself to lose weight. Small daily changes that you can keep up on a long term basis will do more for your continued weight loss than major changes that you can not stick with. You can start by making small changes in your diet and activity levels so that you can immediately start burning more calories than you’re eating. When you eat 500 less calories per day, you will burn 3500 more calories per week than you consume and therefore will lose one pound per week. Now your weight is going in the right direction! (One pound is 3500 calories.)

How To Lose Weight Eating

Eating to lose weight is not that hard. By just shaving 500 calories a day every day, you will reduce your weight consistently by 4 pounds per month. Eating to lose weight by making better food choices and adding small exercise changes to your life consistently will ensure that you consume less calories than you burn.

• Instead of soda, have water and save 95 calories.
• Walk 10 minutes in the morning and burn 100 calories.
• Eat whole wheat toast with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter instead of an Egg McMuffin and consume 180 less calories.
• Eat an apple instead of cake for a snack and save 150 calories.

Wow! That was easy! Eating and exercising to lose weight is simple. Stop trying to do it fast and start to make small changes every day that will keep your weight going in the right direction.