How to lose weight

So, let's say you stepped on the bathroom scale this morning and you realized your weight had creeped up to a number you really weren't comfortable seeing. Your clothes are too tight, you're feeling sluggish and you're afraid your health might suffer, so it's time to lose weight.

 
Dieting to lose weight isn't fun and there aren't any short cuts. It can be tedious, progress is slow and you might feel deprived without your favorite high-calorie goodies to get you through another day. And most people who try to lose weight either don't lose any, or lose some weight and gain it all back later. Sounds depressing, doesn't it?
But all hope is not lost. In order to lose weight successfully, you need to have a plan.
You already know your weight (or if you don't – go hop on a scale). See just how overweight or obese you are by calculating your BMI. How much weight should you lose? That really varies from person to person, but you can aim for about 10% of your current weight to start. Once a week, get back on the scale and recalculate your BMI so you can keep track of your progress. If you have any health concerns, you should speak to your doctor before starting a weight loss program.
Now, to lose weight you need to eat less or move around more. Better yet, do both. Exercise will help you lose weight and improve your health. You don't need to do anything fancy, just getting out for an hour of walking five days each week will help you trim those extra pounds. However some people prefer the intensity of weight training or like to schedule exercise classes at a health club. Just choose what works to keep motivated.
So back to your diet. Taking care of your nutritional needs is important so make it a priority in your life. First you need to know how many calories to take in every day. Use a calorie calculator to help you figure this out. You'll need to eat fewer calories than you are currently eating every day to lose weight, but please don't go under 1,200 calories per day without speaking to your doctor.
You need to keep track of those calories you take in (and the calories you burn during exercise). You can use a food diary to keep track of all the foods you eat, or join Calorie Count, which has a huge database of foods to make diet record-keeping easy.
But there's more to dieting than just cutting calories. You need to eat healthy foods and in the correct amounts so that you get enough carbohydrates, protein and fats, plus lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, while avoiding excess saturated fats, trans fats and sodium. The best way to do this is to plan your meals ahead of time, every day.
To build a meal plan, you need to understand how much food you are actually eating. Many of us tend to underestimate the actual volume of food we eat during the day, so it's best to measure all your servings, at least for awhile until you become more skilled in estimating portion sizes by site alone. Invest in a digital kitchen scale and use measuring cups and spoons and measure everything.
So what foods go into your meal plan? Become familiar with the food pyramid so you know how many of the different food groups you need. Aim for:

• 5 to 11 servings of grain (half should be whole-grain)
• 2 to 3 servings dairy or calcium containing foods
• 1 to 2 servings of protein sources such as meat, eggs, poultry, fish or legumes
• 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day

Limit the amounts of extra fats and sugar found in condiments, dressings and sauces.
Strive to fill your daily meal plan with a variety of healthy foods and leave room for a small treat so you'll feel less deprived. And remember that beverage calories count too. You can sit down with paper and pen to make up your meal plan or use Calorie Count to build a meal plan. To use Calorie Count to build a meal plan, log in, choose your foods and mix, match, add and subtract items for one day until you find a meal plan you like. Make your meal plans for a few days at a time so you can go to the store and buy all the foods you need. A meal plan can actually help you save grocery money when you eliminate impulsive purchases from the snack aisle.
To get you started, I'll give you an example of a daily meal plan. It provides about 1,800 calories for the whole day, with plenty of fiber and the nutrients. If you wish to whittle away some more calories, you can omit the glass of wine, dark chocolate, honey, mayonnaise, oil and vinegar dressing, and the butter to save about 450 calories. You also may look for reduced calorie varieties of your favorite condiments and dressings and use non-nutritive sweeteners to tame your sweet-tooth. What you don't want to do is cut back on the healthy fruits, vegetables, and whole grains because they're packed with nutrients and fiber.
Breakfast

• 3/4 cup oatmeal
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup non-fat milk
• 1/4cup blueberries
• 6 ounces orange juice
• 1 cup black coffee

Mid Morning Snack

• 1 apple
• 12 almonds
• sparkling water with lemon

Lunch

• Sandwich with 3 ounces tuna, a thick tomato slice, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and lettuce on two slices whole wheat bread
• 1 cup raw baby carrots
• Sparkling water or diet soft drink

Afternoon Snack

• 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
• 1/4 cup crunchy whole grain cereal
• 1 tablespoon honey

Dinner

• Salad with 1 cup raw spinach, 1 ounce cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes and1 tablespoon oil and vinegar dressing
• 3 ounce steak
• 1/2 cup mashed potatoes with one pat butter
• 1 cup green beans
• 4 ounces red wine

Evening Snack

• 1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate

Does this meal plan look like it can keep you feeling satisfied all day? If not, you can alter your meal plan to include more nutrient dense, low calorie foods like green and leafy vegetables. If your meal plan leaves you feeling hungry every day, maybe you are cutting your calories back too severely. Remember that it's okay to lose weight slowly.
Be sure to allow yourself room for one treat every day (about 100 calories) and you can experiment with non-nutritive sweeteners to fight sugar cravings. And drink plenty of water – zero calories and you can flavor it with a slice of lemon or lime, or choose sparkling water if you like the fizz.