If your goal is to lose five pounds a week, then your first step towards losing weight should be to lower your expectations. It is only recommended to lose weight this quickly if you're extremely obese and just starting your weight loss routine. Rapid weight loss could lead to a host of health complications, as your body's not equipped to lose dramatic amounts of weight in a short amount of time. Also, if the pounds come off quickly as the result of a fad diet, they're likely to return quickly once you start eating normally.
If you want to lose weight the healthy way and maintain this weight loss, you should strive to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. As previously mentioned, you can afford to lose more pounds in a given week if you have an abundance of weight to lose. In order to lose the maximum amount of weight to remain healthy, you need to consume a nutritious, low-calorie diet. The following diet tips will help you lose weight each week:
1. Lower Calorie Intake
This tip might sound like an obvious one, but it's the most important factor regarding weight loss. You will only lose weight if you burn more calories than you take in from food. If you're serious about weight loss, you should strive to consume 1500 calories a day, not exceeding 2000 calories and not dropping below 1200 calories.
2. Eat Small Portions
Your body depends on food for energy, and it won't be happy if you starve yourself. The trick is to eat small portions throughout the day, to continuously fuel your metabolism and keep your body burning fat. Start your day off with a nutritious breakfast, and consume a small meal or snack every 4 hours. If you keep putting off eating, you're bound to overeat later in the day. Your body has trouble digesting large amounts of food at one, and the excess calories will get stored as fat.
3. Be Mindful
Even though you should eat several times throughout the day, be mindful of how much food you're taking in, and carefully plan your meals and snacks. Remember that each piece of food you put in your mouth counts towards your daily caloric intake. Don't mindlessly sneak in a few M & Ms here and a few chips there; these calories will add up! And, if you're cooking, be aware of any food you sample in the process. These calories also add up quickly!
4. Consume a Balanced Diet
Don't try to lose weight by completely eliminating a food group from your diet. While you might initially lose weight by cutting out all carbs or fats, the weight will come back once you reintroduce these foods into your diet. Also, your body depends on nutrients from every food group. The important thing is to choose the right foods from each category and to keep your potions in check.
