How do I Lose Substantial Weight?

There is a big difference between losing a substantial amount of weight quickly, and losing it safely. Crash dieting will lose weight, but this is not good for either the mind or body, and much of the weight lost in this way goes straight back on again. Food replacement diets claim to be safe and nutritionally sound, but there is an absence of research into their long-term effects. There is a pattern amongst many people who are obese, of losing a reasonable amount of weight, but gaining it again. This is known as "yo-yo" dieting, and is recognized as not healthy in the long run.

Instructions

Mental Preparation.

• 1

  Snacking is a dieting downfall for some people.

  Write down a story of your diet success and failure and describe how this makes you feel. Try to see a pattern in the weight regain. Does the dieting become a burden after a specific length of time? Make a note of your eating over a week, including everything. Try to see if there is a pattern. Some people snack almost unthinkingly when they are watching TV. Some people have several take-out meals in a week.

• 2

  Ask for help. This may be from your physician, who should check your general health before you embark on a diet and exercise regimen. Your physician may refer you to a dietitian. Join a slimming group, if the support of others is important to you. Set yourself some exercise goals. These may be modest to begin with, perhaps a 20-minute walk every evening after work.

• 3

  Incorporate more activity into your every day life. For example, always taking the stairs rather than the lift. Buy a pedometer and measure your steps each day. Aim for 10,000. Read up on healthy delicious cooking and recipes. Set yourself small realistic targets of weight loss. Buy more fruit and vegetables, and substitute brown bread for white. Drink 2 liters of water a day.