Easy Weight Loss Guide - The Steps Required to Achieve a Weight Loss of Five Pounds

ByMico Jonathan EllisonMico Jonathan Ellison
Level: Basic PLUS

Mico Joe has been writing articles for nearly 2 years in various topics. His ability to simply the complexity has been a major cause why ... Article Word Count: 1186[View Summary]Comments (0)

Losing weight is easier said than done. There are a plethora of diet plans and weight loss regimes which claim to cause weight loss. All of this work on a single premise- Leave the body in a state of negative calorie balance. It means that you will have to consume far less calories than you burn.

So, does this mean that you can indiscriminately cut down calories from your diet? No definitely not. To understand this answer you will need a basic understanding of body metabolism. The human body requires around 12 calories per pound body weight per day. This means that a man weighing 100 pounds will require consuming 1200 calories just to maintain his weight at a stable level. So reducing calorie intake to less that 1200 calories will leave you malnourished and unhealthy.

In the rest of the article I will detail the steps required to achieve a weight loss of five pounds.

Weight Loss objectives

Weight loss must be achieved in a stable and consistent manner. Aiming for an exponential rate of weight loss is unhealthy and unsustainable. Starting with a modest target is beneficial, firstly because our bodies are not tuned for this kind of starvation and work out. Secondly these modest goals are easier to achieve and you will not feel frustrated if you slip the ladder a few steps. With a lenient and consistent approach you will have a greater chance of achieving 5 pound weight loss. So to start with try not to lose more than 2 pound a week.

Negative calorie balance

As mentioned earlier, to achieve weight loss you will need to take your body to a state of negative calorie balance. I had initially mentioned that it takes 1200 calories to just sustain metabolism in a man weighing 100 pounds. Therefore we will consider 1200 calories to be the lower bench mark. This means that whatever your diet be, you will need to consume at least 1200 calories a day. This is bare minimum and consuming lesser calories will be counterproductive (consuming lesser calories will push your body into a state of starvation and it causes metabolism to slow down, leading to weight gain).

Burn fat not proteins

Obesity is caused by deposition of fat. So weight loss essentially boils down to removing all the unwanted fat from the body. The best way to do so would be to consume the bare minimum calories and enhance the burning of fat by structured exercises. This is by far the best and most consistent way to lose weight.

Fruit Diet

Going on a strict fruit diet for a few days is another option available to lose 5 pounds positively. It would be a bit hard to practice initially, but your body will be accustomed to it in a few days.When you consider this fact that all modern day foods comprise of saturated components, processed components, added preservatives and other chemicals that are bad for health, Eating fruits alone is not a bad idea at all. With good supply of vitamins and minerals from the fruits, stamina will develop and many regulatory processes in the body can go on a high.

Foods to avoid/include in diet.

Most of the food consumed by the industrial world comprises of simple starch, processed foods and high fat and sodium items. Hence it is very important to read the labels on the packages to enable us to make a informed choice. There are few foods which are totally prohibited while on a diet. These include hydrogenated oils, simple sugars, processed foods and other junk food. Hydrogenated oils contain Tran's fat and this fat is very harmful to your body. All simple sugars ( Anything ending with"ose" is a sugar. E.g. glucose, fructose, lactose etc) are best avoided. These have a high glycaemic index and contribute to weight gain. However not all fats are bad. Some fats known as essential fats are important to maintain homeostasis. These essential fats are found in oils like olive oil. It is also advisable to include Omega 3 fatty acids in the diet as these have cardio protective effect. Omega 3 fatty acids are freely found in cod liver and nuts like cashew/pistachio/walnuts.

Therefore while on diet it is advisable to stick to complex carbohydrate, high quality protein and fillers like vegetables and fruit.

Also remember to read the fine print carefully. Because as per regulatory rules in vogue, a manufacturer is allowed to label his product as Trans fat free if it contains less than half a gram per serving.

Dietary fiber.

Dietary fiber plays a very important role in weight loss. It has zero calories and it is not digested. So it stays in your stomach longer, causing you to fell less hungry. Vegetable are a good source of dietary fiber. A pound of salad will add only about 100 calories while at the same time keeping you satiated. Vegetable are also a healthy source of vitamins and minerals. Hence eating plenty of vegetables is a sure way to keep healthy and also lose weight.

Ample Fluids

Every fitness book/regimen is similar on one account- The emphasis on drinking plenty of fluids. Our body is 60 % water. Hence it is necessary to drink ample amounts of water to maintain body metabolism. Moreover all the extra workouts and diets produce plenty of waste. Consumption of water will aid the flushing out of these toxins. It is not necessary to drink plain water. One can choose from a wide variety of options ranging from lemon water to fruit juices with less sugar. All this should help you achieve a weight loss of 5 pounds

Exercise

Now I come to the most important and probably most disliked part of any diet plan- Exercise. There is no stable way to lose weight without exercise. In fact the best way to reduce weight is to exercise. Exercise not only burns fat, it also keeps our heart and lungs healthy. With regular exercise our body's metabolism increases and it will be much easier not to put on weight once we terminate the diet. Some exercises which are good for burning fat are walking, running, cycling, swimming, and other forms of aerobic exercise (Weight training is not an aerobic exercise). It is necessary to start with small steps and go in a incremental fashion. Prepare a proper plan for work out and keep at least one hour a day for exercises. Co-opt your family and friends in your programme. They will be a source of motivation for you.

Epilogue

Persistence is the key to successful weight loss. Do not become complacent once you see some results. You need to keep up the efforts till you achieve your desired objective of losing 5 pounds. Do not be disheartened if you are not as successful initially. Believe in yourself and persist with your plan. It is bound to give results. Losing 5 pounds is a feasible task given the right guidance, motivations and persistence. So use the above mentioned tips to achieve a weight loss of 5 pounds.

Mico loves writing about various topics. Come visit his latest website about contact lens cleaner that discusses everything you need to know before buying contact lens cleaner

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