How to Lose 100 Pounds in One Year With Diet & Exercise

Fad diets come and go, but there is one truth about losing weight -- you must burn more calories than you consume to lose the excess pounds. While it is possible to lose 100 pounds in one year through diet and exercise, not everyone can accomplish this. Safe weight loss is about a pound or two per week, and losing 100 pounds in a year requires a weekly weight loss of almost two pounds. That means you have to burn off about 1,000 calories more than you take in every day.

Things You'll Need

• Journal

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Instructions

• 1

  Track your food intake for one week, eating as you currently do. Track the calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein and fiber in your food. Use an online nutrition database, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's database (see link in Resources). Tally the daily totals to learn how many calories you're currently consuming.

• 2

  Log your daily activity for one week, exercising as you currently do. Track how many calories you're burning with an online calculator, such as Calories Count (see link in Resources). Use a calories-burned calculator that takes your weight into consideration, as heavier people burn more calories than a thinner person doing the same exercise for the same amount of time.

• 3

  Determine how many calories you should be taking in per day. The number varies depending on your gender and whether you are already active. Look up the information in a source such as the USDA's MyPyramid data (see link in Resources).

• 4

  Decide how many of the 1,000 calories per day you must shed to lose two pounds per week will come from diet and how much will come from extra exercise. Use the information learned in Step 3 about daily caloric needs to ensure that you do not drop below healthy minimum intake levels for your gender and lifestyle.

• 5

  Build an eating plan that fits within your calorie range per day. Use an online calorie-counting tool to build sample menus. For example, pick three breakfasts you enjoy eating. Plug in each menu into the calorie counter to learn how many calories are in the foods. Make substitutions and adjustments, such as forgoing butter on toast or using skim milk, to cut calories. Use a site such as the USDA's MyPyramid menu planner (see link in Resources) for help.

• 6

  Create an exercise plan that will help you burn off the excess calories. Use an online calculator to pick exercises that will burn the calories based on your weight and gender. Reassess your exercise plan as you lose weight -- you will burn more calories when heavier and must increase exercise duration or exertion as you get thinner to maintain the same calorie burn.

• 7

  Tally your daily menus with your exercise plans to learn if you are shedding at least 1,000 calories per day compared to your current levels. Make adjustments as necessary by cutting out food or increasing exercise until you find the right mix.

• 8

  Follow your eating and exercise plan. Write down everything you eat and all exercise you complete in your journal. Tally the figures daily to ensure that you're staying on track with caloric intake and burn. Change your eating menu or exercises if you get bored -- just recheck your new choices with the nutrition database and calorie counter.

• 9

  Weigh yourself weekly at roughly the same time of day and wearing either similar clothing or no clothing -- this ensures that your clothing does not throw off your weight result. Note your weight in your journal so you can keep track of your shrinking body.