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You’ve heard it time and again: fad diets don’t work for permanent weight loss. But, it’s hard to pass up the promise of crash diets that can transform us in matter of days. There is nothing wrong with rapid weight loss as long as you do it right and safely.
According to nutrition and fitness experts, you can safely lose 3 or more pounds a week with a healthy diet and a lot of exercise. If you have a goal such as needing to go to an event without looking frumpy, you will find that you are more focused during that period and will lose weight faster. We all need a carrot dangling in front of us to get motivated.
Losing weight is a simple mathematical formula: you need to burn more calories than you eat. Your goal is to drop 500 calories a day from your meals in order to enjoy a safe weight loss experience. This should yield about 1-2 pounds of weight loss a week. If you need to lose weight faster, obviously you need to burn more calories and exercise will make it happen. And it is easier if you do something easy, like simply walking a block or two, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
The gym-free exercises suggested will help you burn the exact amount of calories you’ll want to burn each day. Experts recommend that you lose 2 pounds by reducing the amount you eat and then lose another 1 pound with simple exercises per week.
If you limit salt and starches, you can speed up weight loss by preventing fluid retention. In terms of caloric intake, shoot for 1200 calories/day. Minimize refined starches such as white flour and surgar and replace them with whole grains. Eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, skinless chicken breast, fish, nonfat dairy products, soy products and lean meat. Eating lean proten maximizes fat loss and minimizes muscle loss. Swap carbohydrates with vegetables if you can. Drink plenty of water.
Try the following tips:
1. Clear the house of tempting foods.
2. Stay busy to prevent eating out of boredom.
3. Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table.
4. Always eat three meals and one snack daily — no skipping meals.
Jennie Yoon Buchanan M.D.
P.S. I look forward to answering your questions and reading your comments about losing weight. Send them directly to me at the address below:
DrYoon@PinkIsPowerful.com
