I want to lose some weight. How can I lose it the healthy way?
Question:
Answers:
Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise and nutrition plan.
You need a good combination of aerobic activity and resistance training combined with a healthy diet. It is not recommended to lose more than 1-3 lbs a week. If you want to lose weight the correct and safe way that will stay off for the long-term, you need a good comprehensive exercise and nutrition plan.
A good program looks like this:
Always warm up and cool down
Muscular Strength & Endurance-you need a good resistance training program that includes exercises for all muscle groups
shoulders (anterior, posterior, and lateral), upper arms (biceps and triceps), forearms, chest, abs (upper, lower, and obliques), upper, mid, and lower back, butt, legs(quads, hamstrings, and calves) and outer and inner thighs
Your intensity should be 70-80% 1-RM or 8-12-RM, 8-12 reps, 1 or more sets, 3 times a week for 6 weeks or more when you begin a resistance program. You should begin with 1 exercise for each major muscle group and make sure the days you do resistance training are not consecutive meaning you don't exercise the same muscle group two days in a row. As you continue your program you can add more exercises, add weight, and change up your program to include more days or just work specific muscle groups on specific days. As your muscles grow stronger you will be able to reduce the rest time between each set. You should rest for about 30 seconds between sets.
Muscle is metabolically active and therefore when you gain muscle it burns more calories and helps to raise your metabolism.
If you do not have money for a gym membership or do not have access to one, here is a great website to create a work out plan only using your body weight.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=&Equip=BodyOnly&Isolation=
You can also search for all kinds of exercises that use weight.
Here is another great website for finding some good exercises for different parts of the body.
http://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/Strength_Exercises.html
Here is a great link to a comprehensive musculoskeletal atlas of the body to help you understand what exactly you are working
http://www.preventdisease.com/home/muscleatlas/content.html#102
Cardiovascular Endurance-This part is extremely important for fat burning and enhancing your overall cardiovascular performance. You need to include a warm-up and cool-down. In order to have an effective cardio plan you must first make sure you remain in your target heart rate zone for at least 30 minutes a day (you can start out doing this for 3 days a week and build up) and then you can build up to 45-60 minutes a day. This will seriously help to burn fat as well as raise your VO2Max which is basically a number that represents the capacity of your cardiorespiratory system. The higher the number the more efficient your cardio system is. You can learn more about VO2 at the following website.
http://www.preventdisease.com/news/articles/vo2_max_how_fit_athlete.shtml
In order to determine your target heart rate, do the following:
know these numbers:
maximum heart rate= (220-age)
resting heart rate=(get this by counting your pulse for a minute when you first wake up in the morning)
heart rate reserve=(maximum heart rate-resting heart rate)
then calculate training intensity:
TI= Heart rate reserve x percentage(use 70%-85%) + resting heart rate
Now your training intensity number is important because this is the number you want to reach for a particular training intensity. This is the number your heart rate has to get to in order to be in the optimum cardio training zone.
You can perform the TI equation for 70% and then another for 85% to get a good range for your heart rate. This is your own personal target heart rate zone.
You can either count your pulse yourself or use a heart rate monitor while you are exercising. You can buy one at most electronic stores. I recommend the heart rate monitor because you don't have to do anything and it lets you know where you are. Some even beep when you reach your zone or when you go above it. Mine has a strap you put on under your clothes and a watch that shows you your heart rate as well as other things. Now of course, any type of heart rate monitor will not be perfect because there are factors that are not taken into account, but it is one of the most accurate ways to keep track of your heart rate that is easily available to the public.
Here is a website to help you calculate your target heart rate zone
http://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/articles/thr.html
Here is a good website for some information on how to measure your physical activity intensity
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/measuring/met.htm
Now, I needed to tell you all of that so I can let you know what cardio activities will fit this type of requirement.
The following are great activities for a good aerobic plan:
cycling, jogging, running, walking, rowing, stair climbing, elliptical machine, aerobic dance, bench step aerobics, hiking, in-line skating, skiing, rope skipping, swimming, and water aerobics.
Any of these activities are acceptable only if you make sure your heart rate stays within your target heart rate zone. This does not count your warm-up or cool-down either. You need at least 30 minutes within your zone for the best benefits because for most people your body does not begin to burn fat until you have been working aerobically in your heart rate zone for at least 30 minutes. Of course all exercise is good for you, so even if you do not make it to your heart rate zone, it still is good for you and there will be benefits from it. Just work your way up, start slow, and you will be gradually improving your body's cardiovascular performance and burning fat. Once your body gets used to performing aerobically it will begin to burn fat faster than someone who is not on a cardio program.
You can find calculators at the following website to calculate about how many calories are burned by different activities.
http://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/tools.html#bctwr
Here are a few websites that will help you to begin a fitness walking program
http://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/fitness_walking.html
http://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/walking_schedule.html
Or if you prefer, you can begin a jogging program
http://preventdisease.com/fitness/fitness_jogging.html
Body Composition-this includes your body fat percentage, bone frame, as well as how much muscle you have. Most people focus on only weight, but you should not put as much focus on that as much as what your body fat percentage is (get it tested at an exercise facility with skinfold calipers). You should also get circumference measurements done. This includes your neck, shoulder, chest, waist, abdominal, hip (buttocks), thigh (proximal), thigh (mid), thigh (distal), knee, calf, ankle, arm (bicep), forearm, and wrist. You should be able to do this at a gym. You should get all of this information done before you start your program and then you can see how you improve.
You can calculate an estimate of your body composition and target weight here:
http://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/tools.html#bctwr
The following website will help you to understand a little more about body composition
http://preventdisease.com/news/articles/muscle_vs_fat_measure_what_matters.shtml
Flexibility- Most people do not even think about this, but it is very important because it helps to prevent injury and it helps you to perform every day activities. It also has an effect on all your other programs. You should perform 10-12 flexibility exercises every day. Slowly stretch the muscle to a point of mild discomfort but not necessarily pain. Hold stretch for 10-30 seconds, and do 3-5 reps for each stretch. This should take about 15-30 minutes per session. If you do not have time to do this every day, try to do it 2-3 times a week.
Here are some good websites to learn more about flexibility and stretching
http://preventdisease.com/fitness/fundament/articles/stretching.html
http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/
Diet- You have to make sure that you eat right and that means following the food guide pyramid. All those low carb diets or fad diets out there will not help you lose weight safely. You can read more about the risks of low carb diets at the following website
http://www.preventdisease.com/news/articles/032006_low-carb.shtml
Know that 1 lb. of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. So if you eat 500 calories less per day for a week than you normally would (by either cutting back or changing what you eat or even by burning 500 calories from exercise) that is 3,500 calories and you should lose 1 lb. that week. I know that does not sound like a lot, but it is a proven fact that you should not lose more than 1-3 lbs. per week because it is not safe nor does it stay off. If you work to lose 1-3 lbs a week then it is much more likely to be the safe way and will stay off for long-term if you continue to live a healthy lifestyle.
I do not like the word diet because most people think of a diet as a short-term way of losing weight when the most effective way of losing weight is to completely change your lifestyle.
Here are some ways to change the way you eat:
Always follow the food guide pyramid with focus on fruits and vegetables and lean meat such as chicken or fish.
Make sure you get enough fiber and water in your diet. You should get 20-30 grams of fiber every day along with plenty of water. You can go to the following websites to learn more about fiber and tips on how to get more in your diet.
http://www.webmd.com/solutions/fiber-super-nutrient/power_of_fiber
http://preventdisease.com/home/tips65.shtml
http://www.webmd.com/solutions/fiber-super-nutrient/six_ways
http://www.fiberseekers.com/fiber_counter.html
http://www.webmd.com/solutions/fiber-super-nutrient/symptoms_check
You should drink a total of 8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day at least. This is different for everyone, but you should be able to figure out about how much water you need a day. You can go to
http://preventdisease.com/news/articles/how_much_water.shtml to learn more about how much water you should drink.
Get your carbs from complex carbohydrates (pasta, rice, grains, cereals, potatoes, dried beans and peas) that contain whole wheat. When you buy something such as bread make sure the first ingredient is whole wheat and does not contain the word enriched. You can learn more about carbohydrates at the following website.
http://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/weightloss/articles/carbs.html
You can also learn how to choose healthy breakfast cereals at the following website
http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/N180.htm
Learn what serving sizes are and how to properly use them. This is very important because the average American consumes way too much and it is because serving sizes are out of control. You can find out more about this at the following website
http://dietnews.webmd.com/content/article/80/96522.htm
Even when you go out to eat or to fast food places you can eat healthy. Choose low fat or low calorie food items such as a salad ( fat-free cheese and dressing), grilled chicken sandwich, etc. When you go out to eat you can also split an entree with someone or ask them to put half in a to-go box in the back before they even bring it to you. Here are some great websites to learn more about eating healthy on the move or in fast food places
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/99/105397.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/chat_transcripts/1/105820.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/76/90208.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/chat_transcripts/1/105053.htm
Always eat breakfast and never skip any meals. I have also done research on this and this helps to keep your metabolism up and makes sure you do not overeat, among many other things. Try for 3 meals a day with 2 snacks.
The importance of breakfast and tips on eating a better breakfast
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/116/112300.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/76/90100.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/111/109884.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/61/71418.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/100/105818.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/11/1671_52238.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/79/96256.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/41/1671_50003.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/90/100846.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/61/71457.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/97/104086.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/43/1671_52152.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/18/101917.htm
Try as much as you can to stay away from saturated and trans fat because they are both bad for you and should be consumed as little as possible. Mono and polyunsaturated fats or good for you but fat should only make up 25-35% of total calories. If the food label ingredient list contains "partially hydrogenated" that means it contains trans fat and should be avoided when possible. The following website offers a plan to follow to help fight fat
http://msn.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s2-4-60-105-1138-1,00.html
Good fat, bad fat, the facts about Omega-3
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/91/101125.htm
Watch out for your caffeine intake, you can find how much caffeine is in certain things at the following website.
http://health.yahoo.com/topic/nutrition/foods/article/mayoclinic/CE619C35-D037-4016-A9CBEA9A3ECBCEB6
A lot of people also focus on high protein but in reality you only need .8 grams of protein for every kilogram of your body weight.
People who are on a resistance training program may consume up to 1.2 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight.
So for me I weigh 135 lbs. and I figure my body weight in kg as follows:
135 divided by 2.2= 61.4 kg
61.4 kg x .8= 50 grams of protein a day.
61.4 kg x 1.2=74 grams of protein a day.
My range is 50-74 depending on my exercise level.
You can check out this online calculator to find out about how much protein you need.
http://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/articles/protein.html
The following website also has a list of the 29 healthiest foods or “power” foods and why they are so
http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/29foods.shtml
There is a formula you can use to calculate an estimate of how many calories you would need to eat every day to either maintain your current weight or to lose weight based on different factors.
You can go to this website to calculate an estimate of your total daily energy requirement from your BMR+AMR.
http://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/articles/bmr.html
Here is a helpful website to understand how to manage your metabolism
http://preventdisease.com/home/weeklywellness163.shtml
Also here is a helpful website to find out what nutrients a food contains
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
Here are some other websites to help you understand how to eat healthier
http://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/nutrition/articles/healthyeating.html
http://www.preventdisease.com/fitness/weightloss/articles/management.html
http://www.mypyramid.gov is a great website to use to keep an online track of calories and many other things. It is free and also provides you with additional information to help you lose weight.
Here are some great websites to give you some tips on eating healthy on a budget:
http://diet.ivillage.com/issues/ichoices/0,,352r,00.html
http://magazines.ivillage.com/goodhousekeeping/diet/bites/qas/0,,577197_624585,00.html
http://www.uottawa.ca/health/information/nutrition-shopping.html
http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/article.cfm?articleid=50852&from=PROFILE
You can check out the following website to get the facts on some common diet myths
http://dietnews.webmd.com/content/article/81/96720.htm#bottomline
The following website will help you learn about how to eat for a power workout
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/42/1676_55048.htm
Avoid brown bag boredom
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/111/110204.htm
100 Calorie Snacks
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/94/102861.htm
Here is another website to check out to understand the modes of fitness better.
http://preventdisease.com/fitness/fundament/articles/types_exercises.html
I have a powerpoint presentation on several of the fad diets that people are on today if you would like to contact me for it.
I also have a powerpoint presentation on the importance of breakfast if you would like more information on that also.
I would recommend you find a certified personal trainer and a registered dietician in your area to help you lose weight.
It is very important to know that not all personal trainers are educated the same and therefore you must make sure if you use one they are properly certified. The following website gives you more information on this subject.
http://www.preventdisease.com/news/articles/not_all_trainers_equal.shtml
Other Answers:
The healthy way is actually changing your lifestyle to be a more healthy one, so that not only can you lose that weight, you can keep it off. You don't sound heavy to me, but a healthy life style benefits everyone anyway.
-Regular excercise
-Regular, balance meals (maybe several small meals a day instead of heavy ones)
-a wholistic healthy way of thinking: set realistic goals,
It takes time to adjust to it, everyone has bad days. I think it's better to tell ohers about it so everyone knows & is supporrtive. ALL THE BEST! :)
Start exercising easy. Maybe a short slow jog should do the job. Slowly increase the distance and duration. Besides that, watch your diet. Quit the chips and chocolates. Plan out a weekly diet plan and limit your calorie intake. Water is essential, don't forget.
I know how hard it can be to lose weight, but here are some suggestions for you! I've lost a lot of weight (165 to 122) and although I wouldn't recommend all of the things I did, I will recommend these:
Try to eat until you feel only a little full- the body takes about 20 minutes before telling you you're full
Exercise in a way you enjoy about 3-5 times a week. (I exercise everyday and I wouldn't recommend that to you because it's obsessive. A few times a week is good).
Don't beat yourself up if you mess up. I still have days where cookies and sweets call my name; it's okay to indulge as long as you work it off later and don't sit around too much! =)
Eat healthy! Eat lots of fruits, veggies, and protein. Bread is good too, but be careful what kinds you eat because some starches can turn into sugar which can turn into fat. I myself eat lots of carbs and don't have trouble (but thats me... need to change that!)
Snack! Yes, snacking is good. Eat small meals and have a healthy snack in between each one. Make sure it's something like a banana or an apple-- something like fruit or even a low fat granola bar. That will keep you energized throughout the day.
This is the most important--- believe in yourself. You can do it! You have my support. Good luck! ^^
I have to agree. The best way is to make positive changes in your routines.
You don't have to join a gym or go on a diet. Just take note what you are eating on a regular basis and see if you need to make adjustments to your portion sizes or the kinds of snacks you are eating. Some healthy snack ideas are low-fat popcorn, handful of trail mix, yogurt, fruit, celery and carrot sticks, a granola bar... (the trick is to space your meals out and have healthy snacks to hold you over until meal times so you don't overeat).
For the exercise part, at your age it might be fun to take up some team sports like soccer, ultimate frisbee, volleyball etc. They are good ways to keep in shape and also meet new friends! If teams aren't your thing there are also sports like swimming that you can do on your own.
And finally, drink LOTS of water!!! Keep a water bottle with you with a bunch of elastic bands that you can add to monitor how many times you refill. For some reason this part is very hard for some people, but honestly makes a really big difference!
Good luck with your goals!! Remember that being healthy is GREAT but that your personal appearance doesn't define you as a person!
Check out sparkpeople.com.Itcan help you work out a meal plan(NOT A DIET) andhelps track your progress and others.I've lost 11lbs in less than 2 weeks.But I've increased my aerobics from 30min. to 60 min. a day.Check it out and tell them ARMARIE sent you.
A safe weight loss is 1 - 2 pounds a week. No more. My suggestion would be the following:
* Be patient, it will not happen overnight
* Walk or exercise at least 20 minutes each day - 30 would be
better
* Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day - you can get that in by
a. Glass with breakfast
b. Glass mid-morning break
c. Glass with lunch
d. Glass mid-afternoon
e. Glass with dinner
f. This leaves you 3 other opportunities to drink water as well
* Eat a balanced diet, focus on fresh vegetables and fruit.
Good Luck to you, you can do it. Remember to be patient. 1-2 pounds a week is safe.
water and ex-lax for 2 weeks...nothing else. You'll shed pounds like a California mud slide.
How to lose bellyfat?
http://www.askaquery.com/question/How-to-lose-bellyfat.html
The Best Exercises To Lose Weight
http://www.askaquery.com/question/The-Best-Exercises-To-Lose-Weight.html
Helpful Tips to lose weight
http://www.askaquery.com/Answers/qn1597.html
Healthy Weight Loss : Start right away
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Exercise and good food in reasonable amounts.
1/2 to 1 pounf per WEEK loss.
Healthy weight loss tips
* Take one pound at a time
Don’t get overwhelmed by how much weight you need to lose. Try to remember that "losing 15 pounds in two weeks" is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat.
Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight.
Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 3-4 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories.
* Set Reachable Goals
For instance, if you know you need to get more exercise, begin with a manageable goal of, say, walking 10 minutes a day that you know you can achieve. Then build your self-esteem by achieving the small goals you set yourself.
The same logic applies for losing weight.
* Stay off the scales
Don’t get discouraged when your progress seems to be slow according to your bathroom scales. They do not provide a true measure of what is going on with the body.
If exercise levels are adequate (5-7 days a week), you may be putting on muscle but losing fat, thus losing inches even if you are not losing pounds. It's always a good idea to do several body measurements to have a second objective way to monitor progress.
* Stay focused on being healthy, not thin
# Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motive changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset to think about selecting foods that will help your body's health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body's weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.
* Fat Free?
We've known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That's because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.
* Drink plenty of water
Drink eight glasses a day. Water is a natural appetite-suppressant. Nettle tea is a great weight-loss tea as it supports metabolism and has diuretic properties.
* Reward yourself
# Each time you reach a goal, such as losing 5 pounds, reward yourself with a gift or a massage.
* Seek help if you need it
# A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. Find a friend to lose weight with or you can check to see if groups such as Weight Watchers, or eDiets offer programs and resources in your area by clicking the links. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietician conducts group weight loss programs.
* Watch your portions
With the advent of "supersize" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a "plate cleaner" even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.
* Eat your food slowly
Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That's because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy your food.
Hi
A simple plan really helps so here goes,
If you are serious about losing weight, the calories in the food you eat should be less than the energy you use. You will have to increase your metabolic rate now, and plan your diet carefully.
Formulate your own weight loss plan and you will lose weight faster. More details available at http://tinyurl.com/m7ckx
Good luck
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