Losing weight is no small challenge for most. More than ever, people are mindful of their diets and the need for proper exercise to stay fit and healthy. While maintaining one’s desired fitness level is often easier than the steps it take to get there, it is common for people to become frustrated along the way when changes do not occur as quickly as they’d like. There are a few simple principles that can help you get where you want to be, and even more importantly, stay there.

The first thing to understand when exercising to lose weight is that muscle weighs more than fat, so don’t set yourself up for disappointment by letting your weight be your only gauge. A pair of pants you’d like to fit into may be a more accurate assessment of your progress than jumping on a scale. In that same vein, don’t try them on morning, noon, and night expecting to see results. Weighing yourself once a week at the same time will not only give you a more accurate view of your your progress, it will help you keep your eye on the process, rather than the goal. The most effective fitness attempts are a result of lifestyle change rather than temporary shifts in habit.

photo credit: *hoodrat*

One important aspect of exercising to lose weight for one to recognize is that our greatest fat-burning moments occur when we’ve gotten our heart rates up and running. Sustaining your heart rate for 20-30 minutes a day several times a week is a great long-term goal. Even still, never underestimate the importance of getting there gradually. Stretching before exercise is a good idea. Walking before running, stretching along the way, is a great way optimize the effects of your eventual run.

Stretching your muscles can help them to develop in a longer, leaner fashion than more abrupt exercising. Soreness is an indicator that muscle tissue is torn, and though that is part of the process that creates muscular definition, muscle in a slow burn leading up to a sustained boil is generally what is sought when weight loss is the goal. The time to really do your deep stretching is after exercise. With the blood already flowing well to our muscles, you can make great strides in improving your flexibility.

While weight training is a great way to form some nice muscle definition, aerobic activity is better for weight loss. Establishing a nightly walking/ running routine interspersed with varying rigorous activities with friends throughout the week is a great way to increase your stamina and cardiovascular health. Participating in activities that are fun, such as tennis, bicycling, or sex are great ways for you to make your way into a healthy, maintainable lifestyle of fitness. Just remember, to give your muscles a rest from the more vigorous activity a day or so a week, and get plenty of sleep. Apparently, adequate sleep is being discovered to be an important component of weight loss, and all that exercise will be just the thing to help you sleep better.

Excess weight takes longer than one week to accumulate, so it takes longer than one week to lose, no matter how much needs losing or what size, sex, or age the dieter. Think of weight loss as a numbers game – for an average person, one pound equals about 3500 calories. To lose one pound a week, eat 3500 calories less per week or 500 calories less per day. Losing two pounds a week requires 1000 calories less per day if activity levels stay the same. Those who count calories know subtracting 500 calories from a daily diet can change that diet substantially.

Those who do not normally count calories may find the practice awkward, tedious, or embarrassing. To consider another approach, try cutting portions in half and avoiding sweets and high-fat foods. A balanced diet, with five food groups, helps to keep blood sugar level and provide adequate nutrients and fiber. The groups include protein (meat, fish, eggs, nuts, legumes), starch/grain (bread, cereals, potatoes, rice, corn), dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), fruits and non-starchy vegetables.

photo credit: Gabriel_Not

Fruits and vegetables each count as a separate category to encourage eating more of them. To lose weight faster, limit the number and portion size on protein, dairy, and starch/grains. For between meals munching, try low-calorie, high-volume vegetables, such as celery, lettuce, mushrooms, cauliflower, and broccoli. Eating celery requires expending more calories to chew it than gained by eating it.

Expending more calories by moving around also speeds weight loss. Exercise increases metabolism – the equivalent of setting one’s idle higher, therefore burning more fuel or calories. Vigorous exercise will also burn a few more calories directly, but usually with only a disappointingly small difference. Ex: Experienced, efficient runners burn only around 100 calories per mile and walkers burn far less. Aerobic activity can also help to squelch a big appetite, especially on hot days.

For those unaccustomed to vigorous or aerobic activity, starting new exercises should happen gradually and with supervision to avoid injuries. To make a long-term life-style change, choose enjoyable, practical, and doable exercises. Walking, line dancing, and water aerobics all make gentle and fun starter activities. More vigorous, strenuous sports can follow in time.

If, in time, expending more calories than you take in doesn’t result in weight loss, see a doctor for possible metabolism problems, such as deficient thyroid or pituitary hormones. Avoid skipping meals — that creates erratic levels in blood sugar, and can cause mood swings, dizziness, or fatigue. Also, getting extremely hungry often results in overeating at the next meal. Keeping the stomach full of non-calorie fluids helps ease hunger between meals. A little hot apple cider or juice 45 minutes before meals can spoil your appetite to help you eat less during meals and speed weight loss.

Weight loss does take time, so requires patience and determination. Change your life-style to take in fewer calories than you expend, and then stay with it – that extra weight will gradually disappear.