Weight loss: 6 strategies for success
Make your weight-loss goals a reality. Follow these proven strategies.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Hundreds of fad diets, weight-loss programs and outright scams promise
quick and easy weight loss. However, the foundation of every successful
weight-loss program remains a healthy, calorie-controlled diet combined
with exercise. For successful, long-term weight loss, you must make
permanent changes in your lifestyle and health habits.
How do you make those permanent changes? Consider following these six strategies for weight-loss success.
1. Make a commitment
Permanent weight loss takes time and effort — and a lifelong commitment.
Make sure that you're ready to make permanent changes and that you do
so for the right reasons.
To stay committed to your weight loss, you need to be focused. It takes a
lot of mental and physical energy to change your habits. So as you're
planning new weight-loss-related lifestyle changes, make a plan to
address other stresses in your life first, such as financial problems or
relationship conflicts. While these stresses may never go away
completely, managing them better should improve your ability to focus on
achieving a healthier lifestyle. Then, once you're ready to launch your
weight-loss plan, set a start date and then — start.
2. Find your inner motivation
No one else can make you lose weight. You must undertake diet and
exercise changes to please yourself. What's going to give you the
burning drive to stick to your weight-loss plan? Make a list of what's
important to you to help stay motivated and focused, whether it's an
upcoming beach vacation or better overall health. Then find a way to
make sure that you can call on your motivational factors during moments
of temptation. Perhaps you want to post an encouraging note to yourself
on the pantry door, for instance.
While you have to take responsibility for your own behavior for
successful weight loss, it helps to have support — of the right kind.
Pick people to support you who will encourage you in positive ways,
without shame, embarrassment or sabotage. Ideally, find people who will
listen to your concerns and feelings, spend time exercising with you or
creating healthy menus, and who will share the priority you've placed on
developing a healthier lifestyle. Your support group can also offer
accountability, which can be a strong motivation to stick to your
weight-loss goals. If you prefer to keep your weight-loss plans private,
be accountable to yourself by having regular weigh-ins and recording
your diet and exercise progress in a journal.
3. Set realistic goals
It may seem obvious to set realistic weight-loss goals. But do you
really know what's realistic? Over the long term, it's best to aim for
losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week, although initially you
might lose weight more quickly than that if you make significant changes
— just be sure the changes are health supporting. To lose 1 to 2 pounds
a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume
each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular exercise.
When you're setting goals, think about both process and outcome goals.
"Exercise regularly" is an example of a process goal, while "Lose 30
pounds" is an example of an outcome goal. It isn't essential that you
have an outcome goal, but you should set process goals because changing
your processes — your habits — is a key to weight loss. Also make sure
that your goals are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant
and time-limited. An example of a SMART goal is aiming to walk for 30
minutes a day, five days a week for the next three months, and logging
your results.
4. Enjoy healthier foods
Adopting a new eating style that promotes weight loss must include
lowering your total calorie intake. But decreasing calories need not
mean giving up taste, satisfaction or even ease of meal preparation. One
way you can lower your calorie intake is by eating more plant-based
foods — fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Strive for variety to help
you achieve your goals without giving up taste or nutrition.
In particular, get your weight loss started by eating a healthy
breakfast every day; eating at least four servings of vegetables and
three servings of fruits daily; and using healthy fats, such as olive
oil, vegetable oils and nut butters. In addition, cut back on sugar,
choose low-fat dairy products and keep meat consumption to a 3-ounce
portion (about the size of a deck of cards).
5. Get active, stay active
The key to weight loss is burning more calories than you consume.
Because 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound (0.5 kilogram) of fat, you
need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. So if
you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you'd lose about 1
pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).
While you can lose weight without exercise, exercise plus calorie
restriction can help give you the weight-loss edge. Exercise can help
burn off the excess calories you can't cut through diet alone. Exercise
also offers numerous health benefits, including boosting your mood,
strengthening your cardiovascular system and reducing your blood
pressure. Exercise can also help in maintaining weight loss. Studies
show that people who maintain their weight loss over the long term get
regular physical activity.
How many calories you burn depends on the frequency, duration and
intensity of your activities. One of the best ways to lose body fat is
through steady aerobic exercise — such as brisk walking — for at least
30 minutes most days of the week. Any extra movement helps burn
calories, though. Lifestyle activities may be easier to fit into your
day. Think about ways you can increase your physical activity throughout
the day if you can't fit in formal exercise on a given day. For
example, make several trips up and down stairs instead of using the
elevator, or park at the far end of the lot when shopping.
6. Change your perspective
It's not enough to eat healthy foods and exercise for only a few weeks
or even months if you want long-term, successful weight loss. These
habits must become a way of life. Lifestyle changes start with taking an
honest look at your eating patterns and daily routine. After assessing
your personal challenges to weight loss, try working out a strategy to
gradually change habits and attitudes that have sabotaged your past
efforts. And you have to move beyond simply recognizing your challenges —
you have to plan for how you'll deal with them if you're going to
succeed in losing weight once and for all.
You likely will have an occasional setback. But instead of giving up
entirely after a setback, simply start fresh the next day. Remember that
you're planning to change your life. It won't happen all at once. Stick
to your healthy lifestyle and the results will be worth it.
