What is the Best Way to Lose Weight?

Losing weight is always a challenge, because you have to change your usual eating habits to ensure that you consume fewer calories and build up a calorie deficit. When you need to lose weight it might seem obvious what you have to do in order to lose weight, but actually putting the theory into practice is another matter. You know that you have to reduce your calorie intake and, ideally, increase your calorie expenditure, but you may cut your calories too much or not enough, so that you lose weight extremely rapidly or do not lose anything at all.

The trouble is that there are so many diets to choose from that the whole process of losing weight can become much more complicated than it should be. Instead of focusing on making healthier food choices and eating less at meal times, whilst doing more exercise, you can find yourself trying to stick to some ridiculous rules that guarantee you will lose weight. Of course, you are bound to lose weight if you stick to the rules when most of the diets available get you to cut out whole food groups from your diet and encourage you to eat very-low calorie foods.

However, you can't stick to very restrictive diets for long when you feel hungry and miserable all the time, especially when they deprive you of vital nutrients. When you lack energy, it becomes difficult to resist the temptation to binge on junk food which is full of sugar and calories. Plus, going on such a diet makes it difficult for you to lead your normal life, as you are unable to eat out with friends or enjoy the buffet on offer at a wedding, amongst other activities. In the long run, if you are going to maintain a healthy weight, you have to learn to deal with everyday temptations.

The key is to embrace healthier dietary and exercise habits, so that you can still lead a normal life without having to give up treats completely. If you go on a diet, you may lose weight rapidly, but you don't get into a routine of making the right food choices and controlling your portion sizes. When you're on a diet you don't really have to think about what you're eating, as it is all planned out for you, which is not the case when you're trying to maintain your ideal weight. You are therefore better off losing weight by embracing a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.

If you make long-term changes to your lifestyle, you will be in a much better position to control your weight, as you will be able to adjust your calorie intake whenever you put on a few pounds, to avoid your weight spiralling out of control again. By making exercise a regular feature of your life and learning to eat healthier and smaller quantities of food, you may not lose weight as quickly as you would if you went on a crash diet, but you have a higher chance of keeping the weight off, which is surely the preferable option.