How do I Lose Weight Safely?

The best way to lose weight safely is to avoid drastic measures. Crash diets, exercising to the point of collapse, starvation, and diet pills are all extreme weight loss tactics that are both unsafe and, in the long run, ineffective. Losing weight safely also often means losing weight slowly, which can be frustrating for people who want to lose large amounts of weight or want to take off weight quickly. However, when weight is lost safely and slowly, there is also a better chance that the dieter will be able to keep it off.

A few good ways to go about losing weight safely are making gradual changes to one's diet and slowly increasing one's level of activity. For example, a person looking to lose weight safely may spend the first week of his efforts making sure that at least one meal per day was low in calories and low in fat and walking at a brisk speed for 20 minutes twice a week. The second week, he might begin substituting his morning lattes for green tea with either no sugar or just a small amount of honey. In the second week he could increase his exercise times to half an hour and maybe exercise three times per week instead of two.

Another important factor for people who want to lose weight safely is medical oversight. Before beginning any kind of exercise or weight-loss regimen, it is important to get a physical and speak to a medical professional about one's plans to lose weight safely. Not only can a doctor offer good advice, but he can also make sure that a patient is healthy enough to embark on such a plan. This step in the effort to lose weight safely is especially important for people who have medical complications, have recently undergone surgery, or have recently been medically fragile.

People who want to lose weight safely also should focus on making sure that the foods that they eat are actually healthy in addition to being low in carbs and fats. Dill pickles, for example, are very low in carbohydrates and have virtually no fat. They are, however, literally drenched in sodium, too much of which can cause serious health risks. Replacing one's evening bowl of chips with a bowl of pickles, therefore, is not a healthy choice. Consult texts on healthy eating and follow recipes that are approved by nutritionists.