Weight Reduction Ideas

Obesity factors into the development of health conditions like diabetes, stroke, heart disease and cancer. Gradual changes incorporated into your lifestyle can smooth your transition to a healthier life and prevent you from developing long-term health problems. Find family members or friends to support your lifestyle changes as you tackle your weight loss.

Tracking What You Eat

• Keep a food journal diary for a week without changing your habits. Record nutritional information of everything you eat, such as calories, grams of fat, carbohydrates and protein. According to a 2008 study published in the "American Journal of Preventive Medicine," participants who tracked what they ate almost doubled their weight loss compared to participants who did not. You can also record your daily exercise in your journal. Continue to makes notes in your journal as you make lifestyle changes.

Diet Changes

• Examine what you usually eat throughout the course of your day. For optimal health, you should strive to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat protein sources. Replace fried foods with baked alternatives. Replace soda or juice with water. Avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol. If you eat canned food, rinse it off first to reduce the sodium content.

Exercise

• Incorporate 20 to 30 minutes of exercise into your daily life. When you drive to work or to the store, park at the back of the parking lot to walk more. Instead of meeting friends for coffee, suggest a brisk walk at the park. Encourage others, including your children or spouse, to join your weight-loss efforts and pick an activity that you all may enjoy. Rollerblading, bike-riding, swimming or dancing are examples of cardiovascular exercise that you could perform with others.

Strength Training

• Lifting weights, performing crunches and doing squats are important strength-training exercises that can change your figure. Building muscle mass increases your base metabollic rate, which means that you will burn more calories each day even when you are at rest. It can also lead to a toned body and increased strength. As you age, muscle mass decreases, increasing the likelihood that you will become overweight.

Problems when Dining Out

• Look for restaurants that give you the option to view nutrition information through pamphlets or on the Internet. Make a list of healthy options that you could eat at a particular restaurant. You may find it less tempting to look at the menu when it arrives at your table. If you do not have access to nutrition information, look at menu options that are baked or feature fresh fruit or vegetables. Ask for your meal to be served on a smaller plate or ask that half of your meal be placed into a box for carry-out.