How To Lose Weight

If you are overweight, you not only don't look as good as you could, but more importantly, your health may be in jeopardy. There are so many fad diets, weight loss pills, supplements and extreme exercises out there, it's hard to know what really works for weight loss. The truth of the matter is that it is difficult to lose a lot of weight rapidly, and in doing so, you may actually be endangering your health.

The best approach is a gradual weight loss plan. Whether you gain or lose weight is determined by your calorie balance. If you consume more calories than you burn, then you are going to gain weight and vice versa. It's that simple.

The first thing you should do is figure out your daily caloric intake. For a few weeks, keep a journal of exactly what you eat every day and how much. It sounds difficult, but it doesn't have to be precise, you just want an estimate. You can find out how many calories are in everything you eat and drink by visiting this website:

http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/

Now you need to figure out what foods are giving you too many calories and where you need to cut back. Maybe you're putting too much sugar and cream in your coffee. Or maybe you're slathering too much butter on your toast. If you eat any fast food, this can be loaded with calories. Remember that 1 pound is roughly equal to 3,500 calories. You should have a pretty good idea of where the bulk of your excess calories are coming from after keeping track of your eating habits for a while.

Now that you've decided how to change your eating habits, it's time to think about the other half of the equation: how many calories do you burn? If you have a high metabolism, your body burns a lot of calories naturally. Often people with a high metabolism never have any weight problems, so chances are you have an average or lower than average metabolism if you have excess weight.

Many people these days don't get much exercise in the course of a working day. It's up to you to make sure you get at least some moderate exercise after work, or even during your lunch break. It could be something as little as a brisk 20 minute walk. You could also join a gym if you think you are up to something a little more rigorous. On weekends you should be able to find time for more exercise. If playing a sport is more interesting then there are usually amateur teams you can join. Even just having sex can be a good workout and burn a lot of calories, which is a form of exercise most people prefer.

If you can increase your activity level a little and cut back on the high calorie foods, you should be able to lose weight gradually. To help in the process you should eat a lot of high fiber foods and you can also use a colon cleanser to unblock your digestive system.