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"How Can I Lose Weight Successfully?" Answered by Health Experts

Posted By: Sharecare.com - various doctors and health professionals on 02/22/2012

Dr. Michael Roizen answered:

You lose weight by first setting an attainable goal, like 10,000 steps a day and no food after 8:00 pm. Then, second, make small changes every day. It’s really true that slow and steady wins the race in weight loss. You begin with physical activity like dancing when Dr. Oz does, walking in place during the show, and doing push-ups during the commercials. Increase your activity level by making simple changes like choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator or the escalator. Find a parking space farther away from the building you wish to enter. Begin a daily walking program and increase step numbers daily until you’ve reached 10,000 or more, no excuses--just do it. Stepping 10,000 times a day is the single most important thing you can do for your health (third most important is recording your steps every day with a buddy or on a web site--overpay for a pedometer; in fact, get two so you’ll never have an excuse like I can’t find it). Walk your dog more often--he will love you more for it. After the 4th or 5th week of increased steps, begin to add in resistance and cardio work.

The fourth most important thing you can do for your health is eliminate inflammatory foods, a.k.a., the 5 Food Felons. They are: (1) saturated fat, (2) trans fat, (3) sugar, (4) syrups, especially high fructose corn syrup, and (5) any grain that isn’t whole grain. Some people include dairy, regardless of fat content, in the group of inflammatory foods.

You need support, so hang out with or organize a group of folks who also want to lose weight or are active and at a healthy weight. Find a buddy for support and to give support to if needed.

Do not expect large or fast changes. You did not gain the weight in a short period of time and you won’t lose it in a short period of time--be patient and be consistent. 

Dr. Mike Clark of Sharecare Fitness answered:

Weight loss truly comes down to cutting your calories. Calories are the fuel your body needs to survive every day. However, many individuals “over fill their tanks” so to speak, eating too many calories and not moving enough to burn the excess fuel. The calorie surplus leads to increased body fat and weight. So, to lose weight and to keep it off, you have to eat less and move more.

My first piece of advice for successful weight loss is to determine your motivation. It is critical to understand why you want to lose weight. Are you losing weight to live longer, play with your children more, fit into your clothes better? If you have a strong enough “why,” more often than not, you will have the focus and discipline to maintain a success-driven mindset and continue the purposeful actions required over the long haul.

Second, understand the calorie equation and what it will take to create a calorie deficit for yourself each day. To lose 1 pound of fat each week, you need to burn 500 calories per day more than you eat (there are 3500 calories in one pound of fat). There are 2 ways to create that deficit, eat less and/or move more. This can be tricky. For example, did you know that a bran muffin with nuts and a grande 2% white chocolate mocha from Starbucks can yield up to 890 calories – nearly half of the calories recommended for a typical 150 pound individual to eat in a whole day? To burn off this breakfast, it would take about 220 minutes of walking, or 150 minutes of aerobics. As you can see, calories are easy to consume but hard to burn! The lesson here is to count your calories. If you don’t know how many calories you are consuming, you will not be able to successfully manage your weight loss.

Lastly, make it your mission to move more throughout your day. Increasing your daily activity by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking at the farthest parking spot and walking, or even standing during your meetings or phone calls each day makes a significant difference in your calorie deficit.

In addition, exercise! For long term success, there is no substitute for the “sweat investment” in your health. Exercise helps condition your heart, lungs and muscles to work more efficiently and can help stave off disease. You don’t have to run a marathon or turn into a bodybuilder; you simply need to add 30 minutes of purposeful, specific, enjoyable exercise into your daily plan.

Penny Ragusano - NASM Elite Trainer answered:

By identifying current unhealthy patterns and then making a conscious and deliberate decision to replace each, one by one, with healthy patterns that you will be able to sustain in the area of exercise, nutrition and mindset. Be clear on the reason you are working towards a healthier you and set realistic goals along the way. Focus on progress towards your goals and always remember you are making longterm lifestyle changes. The journey will not always be perfect and so don't be too hard on yourself along the way.