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Weight Loss Methods

There are a number of weight loss methods, including healthy eating and exercise, which are effective for most people. However, there are those who are unable to lose weight through dieting. They might have to undergo bariatric surgery in order to achieve weight loss.

  1. Traditional Diet

    • Those who are a little overweight or looking to maintain a healthy weight are recommended to follow a traditional diet. This diet includes fruits, vegetables, grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, meats, beans, eggs and nuts. This diet should also be low in unhealthy fats, salts and added sugars. People who supplement the traditional diet with exercise will lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Fad diets, such as the cabbage soup diet or the cider vinegar diet, may produce positive results for some but most are nutritionally unbalanced.

    Calorie-Controlled Diet

    • Those who are mildly overweight (BMI > 30) should consider a calorie-controlled diet. First determine how many calories you burn in a day. This is called your maintenance level. On average, a woman's maintenance level is 2,000 calories per day while a man's is around 2,500. Next, determine how many calories you consume. In order to lose weight, you must burn more calories each day than you consume. Individuals who combine their calorie-controlled diet with exercise are well on their way to successful dieting and maintaining weight loss.

    Bariatric Surgery

    • Those who are unable to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise should consider bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is performed to help individuals who suffer from extreme obesity (BMI > 40) lose weight. It also decreases the risks of medical problems associated with being obese. In the United States, gastric bypass is the bariatric surgical procedure performed most often. It has fewer complications than other weight loss surgeries and long-term weight loss can be achieved if the patient continues to exercise and eat healthy. It is important to realize that bariatric surgery such as gastric bypass does not take the place of eating healthy and exercising. Instead, individuals who have undergone the weight loss surgery must eat healthy, exercise and adjust any factors that may have attributed to their obesity.

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