How to Lose 150 Pounds

Weight gain can occur for several reasons, including inactivity, pregnancy, stress, illness and emotional imbalances. The good news is that weight gain can be summarized in a simple equation: The amount of energy consumed is greater than the amount of energy used. Fortunately, you can reverse the equation with some dietary and lifestyle changes, and watch the pounds drop off. The key to losing 150 lb. is doing it gradually, for lasting results.

Instructions

Diet

• 1

  Avoid sugar and any product with added sugar in it. Sugar has no nutritional value and puts a strain on insulin production, which can lead to diabetes mellitus. Use natural sweeteners, such as barley malt syrup and agave nectar, which maintain steady blood sugar levels.

• 2

  Consume fish, beans and lentils as your main protein sources. These are low in fat and cholesterol, and feed your body with protein that is easily digested. Include them in up to two meals per day. For example, eat a chickpea salad for lunch and a mixed bean chili for dinner.

• 3

  Start cooking. Store-bought snacks and meals are laden with hidden salt, fats and sugars. Cook and bake your own meals, snacks and treats for 100-percent control of what goes into them. Do not skip meals -- eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, with healthy snacks of fruit and nuts in between to stave off hunger pangs.

• 4

  Oven-roast vegetables to maintain steady blood sugar levels. Try a Mediterranean dish of zucchini, cherry tomatoes, red onions and peppers. For a winter root veg treat, try roasting carrots, parsnips, squash and sweet potatoes. Add a sprinkle of crushed sea salt and some garlic cloves.

  Raw vegetables are also a healthy addition to your daily diet. They are bursting with vitamins and minerals, which have not been destroyed by cooking. You can make a healthy, tasty dip to eat with your raw vegetables. The basic combination of flavors is garlic, tahini (sesame seed paste) for creaminess, salt and lemon juice. The bulk of the dip is made up of leftover cooked beans, lentils or chickpeas. Blitz everything together in a blender, add a little more of whatever flavor you prefer and enjoy it with some sliced raw vegetables.

• 5

  Drink plenty of water. It speeds up digestion and flushes toxins out of your body's cells.

Exercise

• 6

  Walk around the park and take stairs instead of elevators. Use cans of food from your cupboard as makeshift weights to exercise your arms when watching television. Take your dog for a walk and exercise your upper body by throwing a ball for him.

• 7

  Work out 30 minutes at home, most days of the week. Invest in a selection of fitness DVDs to give you plenty of variety and keep you mentally focused on enjoying exercise. This will also prevent you from becoming bored with a monotonous regime and challenge your stamina, because you will need to alter your pace and heart rate depending on what workout you are doing.

• 8

  Join a gym as soon when you are more accustomed to moving and being active. Ask the staff to help you with a personal training program, and have them review it every six weeks to match your abilities as you get fitter and stronger. Stick to the training program to see results. Work out in the gym four to five days per week, and train according to your instructions rather than what you feel like doing each day.

• 9

  Vary your fitness activities between inside and outside. For example, swim one day, do a weight circuit the next and take a hike in the countryside with some good company on the weekend. This will keep your enthusiasm fresh.

• 10

  Jog on the spot while waiting for the kettle to boil or the coffee pot to brew. Not only will you burn off a few extra calories, but you'll remind your body that it wants to be active and energized, not sluggish and lethargic.