Guidelines for Losing Weight

Even though you can lose weight by eating less, the best guideline for losing weight combines decreased food consumption with an increase in your physical activity level. To gain the best weight loss results, change your eating habits towards those of a healthy lifestyle, including the right proportions of meats, vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products. Add some daily activity, and you'll be on the road to weight loss success.

Get Moving

• Start exercising daily. No guideline for losing weight would be complete without mentioning the importance of physical activity. The more you move, the more calories you burn. The American Heart Association recommends doing 30 minutes of moderately brisk exercise at least five days a week. The 30 minutes does not have to be all at one time. You can divide it into three 10-minute segments. Moderately brisk exercise will cause you to break a sweat and just start to breathe heavily. If you cannot carry on a conversation while exercising, you are overdoing it.

  Ways for you to get some moderately brisk exercise include working around your house doing things like mowing the lawn, raking leaves, wall painting, vacuuming, rearranging furniture and cleaning closets. If house cleaning does not suit you, get involved in other aerobic activities. Aerobic activities include dancing, walking, hiking, rowing, bicycling, skiing and water aerobics.

Eat a Balanced Diet

• Eat nutrient rich foods. According to the University of California, San Francisco, a major concern of any guideline for losing weight needs to include making smart food choices. Smart food choices including know what to eat, what to limit, and changing your eating habits.

  Eat a well-balanced diet. Enjoy foods from each of the food groups to obtain the needed nutrients. Losing weight is difficult, and to do it properly, you need to nourish your body. The four food groups are fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates (grains), protein and dairy.

  Eat fiber-rich foods, recommends the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber and antioxidants. Fiber-rich foods also include whole grain breads, cereals, and pasta. Whole grains include barley, whole wheat, wheat bran, oats and oat bran, triticale, quinoa, brown rice and spelt. Start eating flax seeds.

  Eat low-fat protein. Consume fish, soy foods, lean cuts of meat, poultry (without the skin) and a variety of beans to get your protein. The Mayo Clinic recommends eating salmon, since it is so rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Other recommended cold fish include herring, trout, mackerel, sardines and albacore tuna.

  Start eating low-fat dairy foods. Instead of whole fat dairy or 2 percent, enjoy non-fat or low-fat versions of cottage cheese, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and milk.

  Limit foods with saturated and/or trans fats in them. Cut down on eating fatty foods. These include commercially prepared baked goods, energy bars, deep-fried foods, processed meats and foods (bacon, hot dogs, sausage, lunch meats), many fast foods and animal-based products such as high-fat cuts of red meat.

  Forget empty nutrient foods as part of your guideline for losing weight. These include soft drinks, sweetened juices, alcohol, syrups and candy, according to the USDA.

  Snack healthy. Instead of chips and chocolate, choose fresh vegetables and/or fruit. Healthy nut choices, according to the Mayo Clinic, include pistachios, walnuts and almonds.

Other

• Monitor your portion sizes. The American Heart Association recommends using low fat cooking methods like steaming, grilling, baking and poaching. Eat only when you are hungry. Eat slowly and concentrate on eating.