Tips for Dramatic Weight Loss

Losing weight takes determination, hard work and stamina. A 2-pound average weight loss per week is recommended, though individuals needing to lose large amounts of weight may average more than that for the first weeks or months of a weight loss regimen. Seek the advice of your health care provider for a healthy weight loss schedule that will produce dramatic weight loss safely.

Reduce Calorie Intake

• Eliminate high-fat foods and sugars from your diet. Just doing this will take hundreds of calories out of the average daily diet of many individuals hooked on fast food and high-sugar cereals and drinks. Many prepackaged foods (even tomato soup) contain high amounts of sugar, so start reading those labels.

Exercise

• Exercise is essential to dramatic weight loss. Increasing metabolism and toning muscles is the best way to burn excess calories and reduce fat. For optimal fat-burning results, try to exercise between 60 and 90 minutes a day. Physical activity means more than just exercising every day--it means moving. Get out for a walk every day, play with the kids or go mall-walking.

Diet Pills and Surgery

• Under a doctor's supervision, diet pills or supplements may help individuals achieve dramatic weight loss goals. There are hundreds of choices on the market today, and not all of them are safe or effective. Talk to you doctor about choices before purchasing. Obesity surgery procedures are also an option for obese and morbidly obese individuals under certain circumstances. Such procedures reduce the size of the stomach, which leads to decreased appetite and the need to eat much smaller portions of food. Some gastric surgical procedures are reversible or temporary, while others are not. Discuss such options with your family health care provider.