How to Lose 11 Pounds
If you want to lose weight safely and effectively, avoid fad diets that make unrealistic promises. The National Institute of Health promotes a slow weight loss plan of one to two pounds per week until you reach your desired body weight. With this in mind, if your goal is to lose 11 pounds, you will need to eat healthy and exercise regularly for roughly one and a half to two months. If you can do this successfully and you begin to see results, consider maintaining a proper diet and physical activity to ensure that you will give your body the nutrition it deserves.
Instructions
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Talk to your healthcare physician. Before starting any diet or weight-loss plan, it is important to discuss your goals with your doctor to make sure you are not putting any additional strain on your body or worsening any pre-existing health conditions.
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Engage in aerobic physical activity to increase muscle tissue and burn calories. Continue these activities for 20-minute sessions at least three times a week. Try walking or riding a bike instead of driving. Climb stairs instead of using an escalator or elevator. While cardio burns the most calories, include strength training at least a few hours a week.
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Make gradual changes in your eating habits. Choose fruits and vegetables, lean meats, non-fat milk and dairy products, nuts and seeds, whole-grain wheat and grains. Don't skip breakfast, eat three meals a day with healthy snacks between each meal and choose a food from each food group at every meal. Read nutrition labels to know what fats, salts and sugars the food contains.
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Continue to follow a balanced diet. Doctors recommend food that is low in trans and saturated fats, cholesterol, sugar, salt and alcohol. Limit alcohol intake. Do not consume more than one alcoholic beverage per day for a woman or two a day for a man. Reduce sodium and starches to limit fluid retention. This may cause an initial five pound drop in water weight.
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Slowly decrease the amount of calories you are eating while increasing the duration and intensity of your exercise. Consider exercising if you are partaking in a sedentary activity such as watching television. Normally, an individual will consume a 2,000 calorie diet in one day. Create a deficit of 500 calories per day to yield a weekly loss of one pounds of fat. To lose two pounds per week, eat 1,000 calories less per day. To put it another way, cut back to a daily level of seven calories per pound of your weight but don't consume less than 1,050 calories a day for safety's sake. The deficit should not come from food intake alone but rather a combination of a healthy diet and exercise.
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Tips & Warnings
Drink lots of water. Don't confuse hunger with thirst. Drink warm water with every meal to help give the sensation that your stomach is full, thus limiting your food intake.
Don't go grocery shopping on any empty stomach. You will be less likely to be tempted by the bakery and deli counters, as well as the junk food that are stocked by the checkout lines.
Clear the house of unhealthy foods. Temptation can be disastrous when dieting. If there is no junk food around, you can't eat it.
Stay busy. Don't eat out of boredom. If you find yourself craving a snack, participate in an activity instead. Take a walk, read a book or call a friend. If you are still craving food after the activity, then eat a healthy snack.
Eat with the proper-sized utensils. Using smaller utensils and plates will cause you to exert twice as much energy to consume the same amount of food. Your brain will signal that you are full sooner.
Eat from a plate. Avoid snacking on-the-go, control your portion sizes and eat at the table. Use black, blue or green plates to help curb cravings while white, orange and red plates increase your appetite.
Know your foods. "Fat-free" foods are loaded with sodium and sugar to add flavor. Read the nutritional label thoroughly to avoid consuming too much of these "good" foods.
Avoid fad diets that deliver unrealistic promises of fast weight loss. These diets are low in calories and carbohydrates which results in fluid loss. This may reflect weight loss on a scale but once you rehydrate yourself, the weight comes back. Make sure any diet you are considering is nutritionally and medically safe and ask your healthcare provider's opinion. Typical fad diets focus on limited food choices, specific food groups and they usually don't count calories.
References
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