When attempting to lose weight, slow and steady is the way to go, says the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Losing 1 to 2 pounds per week is a safe and sensible goal, and is likely to result in weight loss that lasts. Making small lifestyle changes, including adding exercise to your daily routine, is an easy and effective way to lose weight. If you have been sedentary to this point, remember to start off slowly, beginning by walking and gradually working up to jogging and then running.
Step 1
Check with your doctor. Before you start any exercise program or diet, it is important to have a physical exam to be sure that you are healthy enough for moderate to vigorous exercise.
Step 2
Run for a half hour each day. The number of calories that running expends depends on your current weight. If you weigh 160 pounds, for example, running at 8 mph for 30 minutes burns almost 500 calories. The same run burns about 600 calories if you weigh 200 pounds, and about 735 calories if you weigh 240 pounds.
Step 3
Adjust your caloric intake slightly. To lose 1 pound per week, you need to burn off or reduce your intake by 500 calories per day. Because you are burning off a lot of calories by running, you may be hungrier than you usually are. Choose lower-calorie foods to offset the difference. For example, switch to low-fat or skim milk instead of whole milk, and replace a heavy afternoon snack with fresh fruit and yogurt, or with raw vegetables and hummus.
Step 4
Weigh yourself each week at the same time of day, wearing the same type of clothing. Your weight may fluctuate throughout the course of the day, and some clothes are heavier than others. For the most accurate weight measurement, weigh yourself when you are naked.
Step 5
Aim to lose slightly more than 1 pound per week. If you lose 1 pound, 2 ounces each week, you will have lost almost exactly 7 pounds after six weeks pass. If you lose less weight than this one week, adjust your caloric intake or run for a longer period of time the next week.
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