How to Lose 130 Pounds

Whether you have to lose 20 pounds or 130 pounds, the way to do it remains the same. Following a proper diet and exercise regimen are essential for your success. Avoid restrictive diets that drastically cut calories because they don't have long-lasting results. In addition, they trigger the body's survival mode where it holds onto fat instead of getting rid of it, out of fear of starvation. There are various things you can do to lose weight and keep it off.

Instructions

• 1

  Take in fewer calories so that you lose approximately 1 to 2 pounds per week, which is considered a healthy amount to lose. Reduce your calorie intake by 500 to 1,000 calories per day. One pound has 3,500 calories. If you reduce your daily caloric intake by 1,000, you will lose 2 pounds per week and it will take you 65 weeks to lose 130 pounds.

• 2

  Split up your daily three meals into six smaller ones and consume them throughout the day to keep your body from thinking you are starving it. Get 50 percent of your calories from complex "good" carbohydrates and consume them early in the day. Consume 30 percent of calories from lean protein and 20 percent of calories from unsaturated "healthy" fats.

• 3

  Drink water to make you feel full, promote digestive health and to keep you from bloating.

• 4

  Incorporate cardiovascular exercise into your lifestyle. Walk, jog, ride a bike or exercise on the stair-climber or elliptical machine. Bring the heart rate up to burn calories and fat and increase the intensity as you get stronger over time. Challenge yourself. Perform 30 minutes of cardio in the morning to kick start your metabolism and do 30 minutes in the early evening to keep your metabolism from slowing down. Build up your stamina and do this three days per week.

• 5

  Train with weights two to three days per week to tone and build muscle. Muscle needs energy to sustain itself, so your metabolism will stay activated even when you are resting. Target all muscles of the body.