How to Lose 180 Pounds

Resorting to bariatric surgery to lose 180 pounds is costly, risky and time consuming. The aftermath of the surgery requires you to adapt to a drastic, lifelong diet. Losing 180 pounds can also be done by making a commitment to adjust your lifestyle, as well as a commitment to incorporate exercise and a healthy manageable diet. Being severely overweight or obese does not only affect the way you look and feel about yourself; it also increases your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Instructions

• 1

  Reduce your calories by 500 to 1,000 per day. Understand that it takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to burn one pound of fat, so you will lose one to two pounds per week, if you follow that advice. According to the National Library of Medicine, the minimum amount of calories a woman should take in on a daily basis for healthy weight loss is 1,200 calories; for men, this number is 1,500 calories per day. Taking in less calories requires medical supervision.

• 2

  Don't diet and restrict entire food groups. Instead, adjust your eating habits. Create eating habits that you can commit to for the long run. Replace simple carbohydrates with slow digesting, complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain breads and brown rice. Eat lean proteins--such as tofu and beans--instead of fatty meats. Find products with unsaturated fats, such as raw nuts, avocados and olive oil.

• 3

  Cook your own meals, instead of going out to eat. Avoid over-sized restaurant meals. Avoid frying your food; broil, bake or steam food instead. Eat lean protein the size of a deck of cards. A serving of vegetables, fruits and whole-grains should be 1/2 cup.

• 4

  Incorporate cardiovascular exercise into your lifestyle, to get your metabolism going. Start with a slow-paced walk around the block or on a treadmill; as you lose weight and get stronger over time, increase the pace and distance somewhat. Go swimming to add variety. Wade through the water and do some light water exercises, such as leg lifts, arm circles and stretches. Build up your exercise routine gradually and aim to reach five, 30-minute sessions per week.

• 5

  Add calisthenics to your exercise routine, to build strength and keep your metabolism active. Calisthenics are exercises where you use your own body weight for resistance. Include lunges, sit-ups, push-ups on the knees and squats in your workout.

• 6

  Find support if you need it and realize that you are not alone. Get the motivation you need to succeed by meeting with diet-groups or by going to weight-management meetings. Talk to counselors and others who are overweight and trying to lose weight.