Most of us realize that in order to lose weight we have to
reduce our daily caloric intake and/or increase our daily
caloric expenditure. The challenge for the average person is to
figure out how to do this as simply and painlessly as possible.
If we can do these things simply and painlessly, then we have a
better chance of continuing to do them and being successful for
the long term. So what are some ideas on how we can meet this
challenge while keeping it as simple and painless as possible?
Let's keep in mind that most sensible weight loss plans
recommend losing no more than two pounds per week. In caloric
terms that translates to a change of about 1,000 calories per
day. That probably sounds like a lot, but let's look at some
simple things that will help.
Here are four ideas that I think meet the bill:
1. No matter what kind of weight loss plan you are on, you need
to include exercise as one of the components. Why? Because
exercise not only burns calories, it builds muscle. And muscle
tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. In other words, you
get extra caloric benefit by exercising.
A 175 pound person can burn about 10 calories per minute by
walking briskly or jogging slowly. Exercise professionals
generally recommend a minimum of 30 minutes on most days of the
week of aerobic (walking, etc.) exercise to maintain heart
health. Let's do the math. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise
each day will burn about 300 calories. If we throw in 2 days of
strength training (which is also recommended), we can be pretty
confident that we will average a daily caloric deficit of 300
calories. And that doesn't take into consideration the fact that
the aerobic exercise will increase our general metabolic rate,
which will help us burn even more calories.
There are a number of researchers out there now that are talking
about using the concept of high density, low calorie foods to
help us make major, positive adjustments to our diets. Using
these concepts will help you to feel fuller, while eating
substantially less calories.
2. Try cutting down on some of the high calorie foods that you
eat. Remember that fat has twice as many calories as proteins or
carbohydrates. Also, sugary foods and many white flour foods
have a lot of calories and very little nutritional value. So try
to cut down on high fat items as well as foods with a lot of
sugar. Cakes and cookies usually have a lot of both.
3. Eat foods that have a higher moisture content. Try including
more salads, juicy fruits, and broth based soups in your daily
diet. Because of their high water content, these types of foods
will add volume without adding calories. This will help you to
feel full faster, and might keep you from eating the high
calories foods mentioned above.
4. Make sure you include lots of fiber rich foods in your diet.
These foods take up more room in our digestive tract, once again
helping us to feel fuller. High fiber foods can also help reduce
cholesterol and reduce the chance of getting things like colon
cancer.
One of the researchers who have done several studies on items
2, 3, and 4 is Barbara J. Rolls, PhD. Her results indicate that
following these principles can help a person to reduce their
daily caloric intake by 700 to 800 calories. This, coupled with
the exercise suggestions in item 1, will help you meet the 1,000
calorie per day target that will allow you to lose a safe 2
pounds of weight per week.
These are suggestions that anyone can follow simply and
painlessly. So, give it a try. You may be pleasantly surprised
by how easy it can be to lose weight and become healthier.
©2005 Thomas D. Manfredi, MS
About the author:
Online fitness coach Tom Manfredi is the creator of the site
fitness-after-50.com.
He has a master's degree in exercise physiology and over 20
years of practical exercise experience.
This site is designed with the mature adult in mind. Learn more
by going to
fitness-after-50.com
