Ways To Lose Weight

Losing weight only seems complicated. All of the dozens of diets and weight loss regimens on the market come down to a combination of two simple principles: 1) all require the dieter to eat fewer calories by changing what is eaten or eating less, and 2) most require the dieter to burn more calories by exercising more and adding muscle.

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The best ways to lose weight make use of both of these principles simultaneously, and they do so at a sustainable pace that can be continued even after the excess weight is gone.

Here are some of the more popular ways to lose weight:

• Resistance training and moderate dietary changes. The most popular type of resistance training is weight lifting, but any exercise that makes a muscle group push against a weight (like chin ups, sit ups, or push ups) is classified as resistance training. Resistance training leads to weight loss because it increases muscle and muscle burns more calories than fat. Most weight training programs encourage sensible dietary changes like cutting out fat, salt, and sugar, and eating lots of whole grains, high quality protein, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
• High protein diets. These diets are very popular and many people swear by them. On most high protein diets food intake is restricted to lean meats, fish, and fresh vegetables. Some high protein diets allow moderate portions of fruit and restricted portions of whole grains. These diets usually don’t restrict portion sizes, which may be one reason for their popularity. It is possible to overeat protein and vegetables but it’s harder than it is to overeat sugars and starches. A lot of controversy still surrounds high protein regimens.
• Low Fat Diets. Very low fat diets like the Pritikin Diet and the Dean Ornish ‘Eat More, Weigh Less’ diet were developed as a response to heart disease. Dieters are restricted to less than 20 grams of fat per day, which is very, very low. Dieters must stick to fresh vegetables and whole grains and avoid sugar, salt, and processed foods. Although very low fat diets have been shown to reduce heart disease, eating the right kinds of fats has also been shown to be beneficial and even necessary. Ask your doctor first.
• Regular cardio workouts. If you run or work out every day and cut back on your food intake, you will lose weight over time. Many people develop a routine of running for 30-45 minutes each morning and then eating sensibly throughout the week to maintain a healthy weight.
• Paid weight loss centers. Many people do better with lots of professional support and a weekly system of accountability that requires regular weigh-ins and counseling. Programs like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, L.A. Weight Loss, and others work well for people who need to lose weight but also do best with lots of supervision and feedback.
• Small sustainable changes in diet and exercise. Another way to lose to weight is to make small but sustainable lifestyle changes and keep making them until weight stabilizes. Walk or bike to work instead of driving. Trade soft drinks for water. Eat dessert only on Sundays. Skip the butter on vegetables.

Often the most effective ways to lose weight are the simplest. Almost any diet will cause weight loss while the diet is in effect. The problems start when a goal weight has been reached and the dieter returns to his or her former life style.

Most really effective weight loss programs work because they not only help a person take off weight in the short term, they also result in lasting lifestyle changes that keep the weight off long after the diet has ended.