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Methods to Reduce Weight

You've been trying to lose weight, but no matter what you do, the scale won't budge. You're close to giving up and just accepting your excess weight for what it is. If this sounds like you, maybe you're not using correct weight-loss methods. To lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. You can accomplish this with a proper diet and exercise routine. Surgery and weight-loss pills are other options to consider.

  1. Gastric Bypass Surgery

    • Gastric bypass surgery is a procedure where a smaller stomach is created with the help of staples or a band. Because the stomach is made very small, it is unable to hold a lot of food, making you feel full quickly. According to WebMD, you can lose two-thirds of your excess weight in the first two years after the surgery. The risks of gastric bypass surgery include stretching of the stomach back to its original size, nutritional deficiencies because of the restricted food intake and breaking the staples and band tying off the stomach.

    Dieting

    • A healthy diet helps you lose weight because you take in fewer calories and eat healthier foods than before. To lose weight and keep it off, the Medline Plus website recommends gradual weight loss of no more than two pounds in a week. You have to reduce your daily caloric intake by 1,000 calories to achieve this because one pound of fat has 3,500 calories. Avoid crash diets that promise quick weight loss because they are hard to maintain for a long period of time and deprive your body of the nutrients it needs.

    Cardiovascular and Strength-Training Exercise

    • Regular cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, biking or swimming, helps reduce your weight because it burns calories. Strength training, where you use your body weight, weightlifting machines or free weights for resistance, maintains and increases muscle tissue. Muscle tissue activates your metabolism to burn calories. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults perform cardiovascular exercise at least 150 minutes during a week and strength training two days per week. The higher your exercise intensity, the more calories you burn and weight you lose.

    Prescription Weight-Loss Drugs

    • Weight-loss drugs can be prescribed by your doctor if you have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 or if you suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes and have a BMI greater than 27. When taking weight-loss drugs, you have to follow a low-calorie diet and get regular exercise. According to MayoClinic.com, weight-loss pills don't work for everyone, but if they do, they can help you lose up to 10 percent of your total body weight within one year. When you stop taking the pills, there is a chance you'll gain the weight back.

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