How to Lose 50 Pounds of Weight

If you are looking to lose 50 pounds, chances are that you have tried a diet or two before. Forget fad diets, which have poor long-term success rates. Instead, commit to lifestyle changes that focus on eating less, exercising more and being persistent about reaching your goals. If you want to lose 50 pounds, you will not see results overnight. Healthy, sustainable weight loss is a pound or two a week. Follow the right steps, and you can get on track to reach your goal.

Things You'll Need

• Journal
• Pen
• Scale

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Instructions

• 1

  Write down the reasons why you want to lose weight and what has prevented you from doing so in the past.

  Determine why you want to lose 50 pounds. Ask yourself what the excess weight is doing to your body and self-esteem. Determine why you have not lost weight in the past and what is holding you back. Now is the time to be honest with yourself. In a journal, write down your underlying reasons for not losing weight in the past. Also use this journal to track what you eat each day, how you feel and what triggers you to veer from your diet on a particular day. Weigh yourself once a week and record the amount in the journal.

• 2

  Enlist a family member or friend to help. By being accountable to weight-loss goals, you'll be more apt to follow through with the workout routines and diets that are set forth to reach them. Share your goals and routines with your helper, then meet weekly to go over what you have completed. If you choose a friend or family member who also wants to get in shape, you can be accountable to each other.

• 3

  Be realistic. You did not gain the excess 50 pounds of weight overnight, and you will not lose it overnight, either. Set short-term goals, such as losing 6 lbs. this month, rather than focusing solely on the total. Give yourself a date to reach your short-term goal, but keep it doable.

• 4

  Remove junk food and other unhealthy meal choices from your home.

  Remove any unhealthy food or food that is not in your diet plan from your home. This could include chips, candies and other foods that are not going to help you reach your weight-loss goal. Ask the people who live with you to not purchase these temptations either.

• 5

  Limit your salt intake to help you reach your weight-loss goals.

  Eat whole grains and healthy fats; cut down on sodium. Pastas, breads and cereals should be whole-grain products. Eat healthier fats, such as olive oil, butter spreads and canola oils, instead of butter, shortening and margarine products. Restrict the sodium in your diet by eating fewer processed foods, using sodium-free spice blends and purchasing low-sodium products.

• 6

  Cut your daily caloric intake. It is safe to drop up to 1 percent of your body weight per week. For example, a 200-pound person could cut 1,000 calories from his daily diet in order to lose 2 lbs. a week. Never drop below 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,800 calories per day for men for health safety. Consult your physician for specific dietary needs in regard to your own health before starting any diet plan.

• 7

  Eat six smaller portions throughout the day.

  Eat six small meals each day rather than three large ones. Include a low-fat protein with breakfast, and eat snacks that are 100 calories or less when you are hungry. Reward yourself with one day each week that you can veer a bit from your diet, but do not splurge.

• 8

  Start out with a moderate walking routine and slowly build the intensity.

  Start exercise slowly. To avoid joint damage or injury from the excess weight, start with chair exercises or moderate walking routines, then build to more intense workouts. Enlist the help of a physical trainer or your physician for recommendations on how to work out slowly and build up to fat-burning intensity.