Basic Tips To Achieve Healthy Weight Loss

Whether you need to lose weight for your health or you simply want to slim down before you shimmy into a swimsuit, shedding extra pounds in a healthy way is certainly the ideal. Keep reading for some basic advice on losing weight without compromising your health.

The most efficient way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn through daily activities and exercise. If you don't have hours to spend in the gym or you lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle, you must trim extra calories from your diet. Switch to lower-fat dairy products, consume less red meat, and add more "whole" foods to your diet, including fiber-rich fruits and veggies, which keep you feeling full.

Besides making healthier choices, you should also adjust your portion sizes; you may be eating far more food than you realize. For instance, a serving of cheese equals about four dice. One serving of meat is approximately the size of a deck of playing cards. If you aren't confident that your portion sizes are correct, carefully measure them for a week or two until you can eyeball them accurately.

Calories that you drink, unfortunately, still count. You don't have to give up soda, beer, wine or lattes altogether, but you should take those calories into consideration when totaling your caloric consumption each day. Switching to diet soda, light beer and low-fat coffee shop drinks is an effortless way to trim calories from your diet so you can lose weight.

Another key factor in losing weight safely is eating a balanced diet. Heavily restricting your intake to just a few foods will not only leave you feeling unsatisfied, but it leads to deficiencies in key nutrients. Ensure that your intake of lean proteins, dairy, grains and starches, veggies and fruits is varied and balanced. A well-rounded diet will leave you feeling less hungry and more energetic, especially if you count your calories and manage portion sizes.

Losing weight without physical activity is difficult. Look for ways to fit more activity into your day, from visiting the gym after work to parking a few blocks from your destination and walking. Regular workouts not only burn calories, but they build lean muscle and boost your metabolism, meaning that you burn more calories during your day-to-day activities.

Despite their promises of quick success, fad diets are generally not the healthiest ways to lose weight. Many of these diets eliminate entire food groups, which deprives your body of important nutrients. Fad diets are generally not sustainable for the long haul, either. The on-again, off-again cycle of yo-yo dieting is unhealthy, too. Losing weight only to gain it back again quickly puts strain on organs like your heart, and it can wreck your metabolism. Rather than falling for every hip eating plan that comes along, eat a well-balanced diet that you can sustain long-term.

Finally, do not deprive yourself of things like chocolate, wine or cheesecake. The occasional indulgence will not cause you to gain weight, especially if you make a conscious effort to burn the extra calories or make up for them with healthier eating the next day. When you do have a treat, savor every sip or bite, and keep the portion size reasonable.

The keys to losing weight without harming your body are truly simple; you must create a balanced, healthy diet that you can sustain long-term and combine it with some form of exercise that you enjoy. You may not lose weight as quickly as you would with the latest juice- or soup-based diet, but you will keep the weight off.