Just Move It
Weight loss is ultimately about mathematics. Burn more calories than you ingest, and you will lose weight. The larger the gulf between how any calories you burn and how many you ingest, the quicker you’ll lose weight.
There are only two ways to affect this equation (barring unhealthy options like illegal stimulants): diet and exercise.
Continue to eat well, even when you’re dieting.
There is always a temptation to crash diet when you begin a weight loss program, but this is not only unhealthy, it’s also ultimately counterproductive, as extreme calorie restriction is impossible to maintain and will only slow down your metabolism, making it harder to lose weight later.
Instead of starving yourself, get accurate measurements of both your height and weight, and then go to one of the dozens of online sites that offer you a free calculation of approximately how many calories you should be eating per day to lose weight. You might want to visit a few of these sites to make sure you’re getting similar results that you can trust. You can then take an average of these calculations. If you’re a woman of average height and build, your total daily calorie allotment for weight loss should be somewhere around 1500. If you’re a man, it should be around 2000. Under no circumstances should women go below 1200 calories per day or men below 1500 calories per day.
Once you know approximately how many calories you should be consuming per day, plan a healthy balanced diet around this calorie total.
For a quick weight loss boost that isn’t harmful or restrictive, try cutting as much salt as possible out of your diet. You will see a nice water weight loss that will give you a little boost without killing your metabolism.
Now add the exercise.
Because there is a limit on how much we can restrict our diets while ensuring energy levels and proper nutrition, there is not a tremendous amount of leeway in the diet portion of a diet and exercise program. Unless you’ve been eating an outrageous number of calories per day before beginning your program, diet alone probably isn’t enough to get you the results you want.
However, there is much more flexibility with the exercise portion of the equation. The more exercise you incorporate into your program, the faster you will lose weight.
That said, unless you’ve already been exercising diligently, you should see your primary care physician before beginning any exercise program.
Schedule exercise.
The only way you’re going to stick to an exercise plan is to make it part of your life. Schedule a time for it, whether it’s every day, every other day, or three times a week. Dedicate that portion of your day to exercise, and make sure your loved ones and friends know that time is your exercise time. Don’t let yourself or anyone else talk you out of that time.
If you haven’t been exercising, walking is always a good way to start. If exercise is already part of your routine, kick up the intensity. Trying jogging instead of walking, running instead of jogging, or try a higher intensity class at your gym. Every extra calorie you burn makes a difference. It’s also important to incorporate some weight training into your routine. Not only will it help boost your metabolism by building muscle, it also helps prevent age-related conditions like osteoporosis.
There’s more to exercise than working out.
Also try to make small lifestyle changes that incorporate more exercise into your life even when you’re not technically working out. Walk to your local coffee shop instead of driving. Walk up a flight of stairs at the office to actually talk to a co-worker instead of emailing them. Save some money and mow your own grass. Save more money and mop your own floors. Get up and do small chores during commercial breaks. Not only will you burn some calories, but you can get the dishes done during your favorite shows without even really noticing you’re moving and cleaning.
Ultimately, the more you can make yourself move, the better off you’ll be.
You have to eat a certain number of calories for health, but the more calories you burn, the larger you can make that difference between calories in and calories out, and the quicker you’ll lose weight.