by Michelle Wilkinson

Created on: May 05, 2010

In order to go about weight loss in a sensible way you have to acknowledge that you’re not going to reach your goal weight overnight. It takes time to lose weight, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose, and so there is no point hoping to lose seven pounds each week, as it most probably won’t happen. The only way you could potentially lose such significant amounts would be to go on a very low calorie diet (VLCD), but this does nothing to address what caused you to gain weight in the first place, and so the weight you lose may just come back.

This is what many people find when they go on a diet – whether it’s a very low calorie one or one that happens to be in vogue with celebrities – they lose quite a bit of weight but gain it all back once they return to their usual eating habits. If you’re going to take this approach it is therefore, in most cases, a waste of time, money and effort. You don’t want to lose enough weight to reach your goal only to pile on the pounds soon after – it knocks your confidence and may contribute further to your weight gain.

Instead, you should examine your diet as it is and look for ways to bring down your calorie intake. The easiest step to take is probably reducing portion sizes, since by choosing to eat two slices of toast instead of four; you’re already halving the calories you take onboard at breakfast time. You should also think about the kind of food you’re eating and choose the healthier options, so that you eat wholemeal bread instead of white, for instance. It’s also worth eating more fruit and vegetables and avoiding fast food most of the time.

You can still treat yourself now and again, as long as you keep in mind that your calorie intake has to be lower than your calorie expenditure for you to lose weight. Indeed, it’s important not to get bored with the food you’re eating, as otherwise you may be tempted to binge on foods that are the worst kind for you and your weight-loss plans. Thus, the occasional bar of chocolate isn’t going to kill you and if you’re feeling guilty for overindulging you could always increase your activity levels, which you ought to do, anyway, to maximise your weight loss.

Consequently, losing weight in a sensible way requires you to make adjustments to your diet and exercise routine, rather than aiming for rapid weight loss and starving yourself to achieve this.

Learn more about this author, Michelle Wilkinson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.