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Tips to Reduce Your Weight

As of 2008, almost 70 percent of American adults were overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The most recent "Journal of the American Medical Association" report on Actual Causes of Death in the United States, released in 2000, cited lack of physical activity combined with poor diet as the country's second-leading cause of death. Americans must learn ways to lose weight effectively to counter this unhealthy trend.

  1. Count Calories

    • Start counting calories -- both what you eat and what you burn. As a rule, you need to create a deficit of 500 calories per day to lose one pound a week. Calculate your own personal caloric needs based on your current weight and desired weight, along with your activity level. According to the "Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide," a sedentary person requires 13 calories per pound to maintain body weight, while a moderately active person requires 16 calories per pound.

    Exercise

    • Add regular physical exercise to your weekly schedule to help create a calorie deficit and promote weight loss. In 2007, the American College for Sports Medicine recommended at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise five times per week plus two weekly strength-training sessions for adults ages 18 to 64. Increasing the amount of muscle in your body will help you burn more calories as well, since muscles burn more calories than fat.

    Planning

    • Craft a long-term, realistic plan that includes the necessary lifestyle changes to facilitate the achievement of your overall weight-loss goals. Write down daily and weekly short-term eating and exercise-related goals to help you establish healthy habits that you can sustain over a lifetime. Start with small changes, such as replacing sugar-laden soft drinks with water or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Enlist the support of friends and family who will encourage your efforts.

    Fat Burners

    • Incorporate foods and drinks in your healthy eating plan that will prompt your body to burn more calories. Such foods include hot chile peppers like jalapenos and habaneros. As reported by a team of UCLA researchers at the 2010 Experimental Biology 2010 meeting in Anaheim, California, hot chile peppers contain a compound called capsaicin, which increases the body's calorie burning when ingested. Other potential fat-burning foods include milk, coffee, green tea and whole grains.

    Patience

    • Even after you make the necessary lifestyle changes to begin reducing your weight, weight loss takes time. For sustainable, lifelong weight loss, expect to lose weight slowly, aiming for between one and two pounds per week. Be prepared for setbacks, as they are a virtually inevitable part of the weight-loss process. If you overeat or miss and exercise session or two, forgive yourself and return to your program as soon as possible.

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