Weight Loss Tips

While there are several different programs that are advertised to assist you in losing weight, the only proven method to weight loss is by burning more calories than you take in daily.

You can do this in a variety of methods, but the most popular are reducing your caloric intake, which means eating healthier foods, or increasing the amount of energy you use, which means exercising more. Many behavior modification techniques can assist you in losing weight, such as eating smaller portions and eating more than three times a day to trick your body into being full. Losing weight in this manner is something that requires maintenance.

If you have been experiencing unintentional weight loss, you may have a medical condition that has lead to the weight loss. If this is the case, you may need to consult a physician to discuss your medical condition.

RECOMMENDED CALORIC INTAKE

The U.S. Committee on Dietary Allowance has recently published the recommended caloric intake for various ages and genders. While these numbers are a decent guide for considering your own caloric intake, ultimately medical conditions, activity level, and additional factors such as pregnancy may need to be taken into consideration.

WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

One pound of fat is equal to 3,5000 calories. This means in order to lose one pound of fat per week, you need to eat 3,500 less calories within that week. You can do this by reducing your daily caloric intake by 500. 500 X 7 is 3,500. In order to lose two pounds per week, you would need to increase the deficit to 1,000 calories.

While this may seem like an impossible goal to achieve, you have to remember that exercise burns calories. You can achieve this deficit through a combination of eating less and exercising more to burn calories.

For women, the lowest recommended caloric intake per day is 1,200. While diets of 800 calories per day are possible, it is not recommended to go on these diets unless you are medically supervised.

The lowest level of caloric intake for men is 1,500. Low calorie diets can be used for men who are medically supervised as well.

In order to prevent weight gain, here are a few tips you can follow:

* Avoid sugary and fatty foods, as these are empty calories.
* Reduce the amount of alcohol you intake.
* Avoid stress and frustration, as these can lead to eating.
* Seek medical treatment for depression.

In order to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, you should increase your activity level by following these tips.

* Perform aerobic exercises at least 30 minutes; 3 times a week.
* Walk rather than drive.
* Climb stairs instead of using the elevator.
* Talk to your health care provider before beginning an exercise regiment.

FAD DIETS ARE NO GOOD

A fad diet is a diet that makes promises of fast weight loss without doing much work. Many fad diets cut carbohydrates from your body, which causes fluid loss. This fluid loss looks great on a scale, but once the body is re-hydrated, the weight is regained.

How to tell if a diet is a fad diet:

* Fad diets are often not nutritionally safe.
* Many fad diets have an over emphasis on certain foods or food groups. Avoid these diets since no food is a miracle weight loss solution.

The diet you choose should offer nutritionally sound information and show you in facts how you will begin to lose weight. Statistics should be available concerning the diet and the path you will take in order to lose weight. Remember, if something looks fishy, chances are it probably is.

In order to be successful at losing weight, you should strike a balance between exercise and eating correctly. Adding one and not the other will not help you lose weight, which is why many people get disheartened.