The diet industry grosses hundreds of millions of dollars each year. And with the obesity rate in the United States at an all-time high and growing steadily each year, millions of people are searching for the fastest, best way to lose weight, and for good reason. Obesity contributes to a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and diabetes, just to name a few.
With so many pills, powders, potions, and other weight loss tools available, it can be difficult to determine what the best way to lose weight is. While it’s easy to buy into the celebrity-endorsed fitness and diet trends, the fact remains that the best way to lose way is through healthy eating and regular exercise.
Healthy Eating
Everyone talks about the importance of “eating right.” But what exactly is healthy eating? Eating right consists of eating a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. According to the USDA food pyramid, this includes:
? Grains. Whole grains such as whole wheat products, oatmeal, whole grain barley, and brown rice are much healthier than refined flours, like white bread and white rice.
? Fruits and Vegetables: A healthy diet should consist of at least 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables each day. 100% vegetable and fruit juice can be included in this category.
? Milk and Dairy: Low-fat or skim milk and low-fat or fat-free dairy products help aid in weight loss and build strong bones.
? Protein: A healthy diet should consist of lean proteins such as fish and skinless chicken.
To help aid in weight loss, it’s important to limit sweets and other fattening foods. They have no nutritional value and make it difficult to lose weight and easy to gain.
Many doctors and weight-loss specialists recommend eating several small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large ones. Eating 5 small meals helps keep the metabolism high and keeps blood sugar from dropping. As a result, you are never hungry and are less likely to overeat.
What About Calories?
To lose weight, it takes about 3500 calories to burn a pound. Losing weight is all about calorie deficits. If you cut back 500 calories a day, you’ll lose a pound a week. In addition, if you burn another 500 calories throughout the day, you’ll also lose a pound a week. The most effective way to lose weight is through cutting calories in conjunction with exercise.
As a general rule, it’s not safe to eat less than 1,200 calories a day without a doctor’s approval.
Exercise
Exercise is essential to weight loss. Not only does regular aerobic exercise, such as running, jogging, biking, or walking help to lose weight, it also defends the body against heart disease and results in higher energy levels and a higher metabolism, so you burn calories when you’re not exercising.
In order to maintain weight, the minimum amount of exercise recommended is 30 minutes 3-5 times a week. People who want to lose weight should exercise at least 5 times a week for 30-60 minutes. A good exercise regimen will also incorporate weight training, which can be as simple as light hand weights.
There is no magic pill or powder for losing weight. The best, most effective weight loss regimen will incorporate healthy eating and exercise. When weight is lost this way, it is more likely to stay off.