How to lose weight safely?

Losing weight is something which most of the people seek in their early or mid or old age. There are some tips and care which you should follow before or during your weight loss program.

Important points to consider for Safety during weight loss

1. Ask Your Doctor About Sensible Goals
   Your doctor or other health worker can help you set sensible goals based on a proper weight for your height, build and age.
2. Men and very active women may need up to 2,500 calories daily. Other women and inactive men need only about 2,000 calories daily. A safe plan is to eat 300 to 500 fewer calories a day to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.
3. Exercise 30 Minutes - Do at least 30 minutes of exercise, like brisk walking, most days of the week.
4. The idea is to use up more calories than you eat. You need to use up the day's calories and some of the calories stored in your body fat.
5. Eat Less Fat and Sugar - This will help you cut calories. Fried foods and fatty desserts can quickly use up a day's calories. And these foods may not provide the other nutrients you need.

How to achieve weight loss safely?

1. Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you. The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a doctor or dietitian.
2. Use the journal to help understand when it is you might eat foods that are high in calories and find ways to cut them out and replace those items with healthier choices.
3. Don't shop when you are hungry. Have a healthy snack and a glass of water before heading to the grocery store.
4. Increase your daily fibre intake. Pick whole meal bread, and whole grains (bulgar wheat, quinoa).
5. Try a daily walk. It is a great exercise for weight loss. You can go at your own pace. If you walk with a friend it is mentally uplifting to chat and support each other.
6. Add strength training to your exercise plan to build lean muscle. While aerobic exercise (like walking) helps burn calories, anaerobic (or strength-building) exercise can help boost your metabolism.
7. Put your knife and fork down instead of loading it up while you chew. Eating more slowly allows your body to be in time with your brain so that by the time you "feel" full you haven't already over eaten.
8. Avoid/limit alcohol (3-4 standard drinks/week)- it reduces you ability to lose fat as well as making it harder to resist temptation.
9. Measure your loss by how your clothes feel on you and only weigh yourself once every couple of weeks. Take your measurements once a month to judge your weight loss in inches as well as pounds.

Tips for Cutting Calories and Fat for safe weight loss

• Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products like bread and rice.
• Eat only small, single servings of foods high in fat or calories.
• Eat less sugar and fewer sweets.
• Drink less alcohol or no alcohol.
• Choose foods whose labels say low, light or reduced to describe calories or fat.
• Choose 1 percent or skim milk products and reduced fat cheeses.
• Replace ice cream with fat-free frozen yogurt.
• Replace sour cream with fat-free or low-fat plain yogurt.
• Make sure fish, poultry and meat are lean. Trim skin and fat.
• Broil, roast or steam foods.