Here are a few thoughts on weight loss and how you can lose weight safely.
Overweight people have an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and other illnesses. Losing weight helps reduce the risk.
Ask Your Doctor About Sensible Goals
Your doctor or other health worker can help you set sensible goals based on a proper weight for your height, build and age.
Men and very active women may need up to 2,500 calories daily. Inactive men and women (those who have a desk job) need only about 2,000 calories daily. A safe plan to lose weight is to eat 300 to 500 fewer calories a day to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week. Crash diets are not healthy.
Exercise at least 30 minutes per day. 30 minutes of exercise like brisk walking, 5 days a week will safely help the health of your heart.
The idea is to use up more calories than you eat. You need to use up the day's calories and some of the calories stored in your body fat.
Eat Less Fat and Sugar
This will help you cut calories. Fried foods and fatty desserts swiftly use up a day's worth of calories. These foods may not provide the other nutrients you need.
Make sure your other foods that day are low in fat and calories.
Eat a Wide Variety Of Foods
Variety in the diet helps you get all the vitamins and other nutrients you need.
Watch Out for Promises of Quick And Easy Weight Loss. Fad diets aren't good because they often call for too much or too little of one type of food. As a result, you may not get important nutrients you need daily.
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true.
What About Diet Pills? Diet pills you buy without a prescription won't make a big difference in how much you lose each week or how long you keep the weight off. If you do use them, read the label carefully. Because of possible side effects, like high blood pressure, never take more than the listed dose.
Also, be careful about taking cough or cold medicines with diet pills you buy without a prescription. These things may contain the same drug used in diet pills, or a similar drug with the same effects. If you take both products together, you may get too much of the same type of drug. This could be dangerous.
Before taking a cough or cold medicine while using diet pills, ask your pharmacist if it's OK.
Prescription diet pills may help some people. If you use them, follow the doctor's directions carefully.
Before Signing Up for a Weight-Loss Program, ask Questions.
Does the Company:
Warn you of potential health risks from weight loss? Explain any hidden costs? Have proof of success, not just praise by other people? Give a clear, statement of how the weight is going to be lost, including how much and how fast? Teach how to eat healthfully and exercise more? These and other questions should be addressed so you can lose weight safely.
