Today marks the beginning of the eight week of your weight loss program. As you begin this week you should be a total of 14 pounds lighter than when you began the program. At 14 pounds lost you should be able to notice differences in both how you feel and how you look. Your progress so far should serve as a motivation to continue with your weight loss program in order to achieve the final result of 50 pounds lost in 25 weeks. The progress you have made thus far is due to your dedication in continuing with the positive lifestyle habits you have built. These positive lifestyle habits allow you to easily stay on track with your weight loss.
The first of your positive lifestyle habits is tracking of your daily weigh in. Although this may seem like a simple task, it actually is more important to your weight loss success than you might initial realize. Through the act of weighing daily you add a level of accountability to your weight loss program. Weighing and tracking allows you to see your progress in a tangible way. Tracking your weight allows you to see and understand which types of exercise and foods help produce the greatest weight loss returns for you and your body but it is also important to remember that you may not see a decrease in your weight every day. Your weight can vary even during weight loss due to sodium intake, amount of sleep, hydration, and other factors. Tracking also allows you to see these variations and can help you decide when you need to make adjustments to your weight loss program in order to achieve your goal of a 2 pound per week weight loss.
Your habit of regular exercise is also important to the success of your weight loss program. The program example requires 2,700 calories to be burned each week. Since the suggested schedule for exercise is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday this means that 675 calories must be burned on each scheduled exercise day. For the program example of a 225 pound woman, 55 minutes of circuit training is required to burn 675 calories. 675 calories can also be burned by 70 minutes of moderately paced ski machine utilization or approximately 2 hours of water aerobics. While it is not necessary to do one of these examples of exercise, it is important to do the necessary amount of your desired exercise in order to burn 675 calories. The reason that the exercise component of your weight loss program is so important is because without the calories burned you would not be able to safely reach your 7,000 calorie deficit for the week.
The other vital aspect of your weight loss program is your daily calorie consumption. For the program example, 1,200 calories are allowed daily. This amount of calories is the maximum which can be consumed which will allow you to meet the weekly calorie deficit necessary to lose 2 pounds per week. Additionally it is important to be sure that proper nutrition is achieved in your 1,200 daily calories. While focusing on high quality foods such as fresh produce, lean proteins, and whole grains can help you achieve good nutrition it is possible to still be lacking certain nutrients. A simple way to ensure that you receive all the necessary nutrients is through the use of a high quality daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. Not only can supplementation provide you with the nutrients necessary for good health, but also the nutrients necessary for efficient weight loss.
High quality foods also can help improve your overall good health and energy levels. Fresh produce, lean proteins and whole grains do not weigh you down as much as processed foods high in preservatives and artificial ingredients. The following menu plan features 6 daily meals and 1,200 calories while focusing on high quality foods. For breakfast you can enjoy a quick and easy version of huevos rancheros. Simply top a warmed corn tortilla with 2 tbs fat free refried beans, a large poached egg, ¼ cup salsa, 2 tbs shredded low fat cheddar cheese, and 1 tbs fresh chopped cilantro for a total of 199 calories. Your mid morning snack might be a peach raspberry smoothie prepared by blending ½ cup low fat yogurt with 1 cup fresh peach slices and ½ cup frozen raspberries for a total of 180 calories. Lunch could be 3 ounces of seared tuna atop a salad made of 2 cups spring mix greens, 5 cherry tomatoes, ½ cup sliced cucumber, 2 tbs chopped bell pepper, and 2 tbs sesame soy dressing for a total of 203 calories. For your afternoon snack you might enjoy 4 cups of air popped popcorn topped with ½ tbs melted butter for a total of 173 calories. Your dinner might consist of 3 ounces of grilled boneless skinless chicken breast with a simple eggplant caponata made by sautéing 2 cups cubed eggplant, 1 cup chopped tomato, ¼ cup chopped onion, ¼ cup chopped bell pepper,2 tbs chopped fresh basil and 1 clove chopped garlic for a total of 203 calories. The final meal of your day might be a fruit salad consisting of 1 cup chopped apple, 1 cup seedless grapes, and 1 cup tangerine sections for a total of 220 calories. The total calorie count for this entire menu plan is 1,178 calories.
The final aspect of your healthy weight loss program is proper hydration. The minimum amount of water which should be consumed daily is eight 8 ounce glasses of water. It is important to remember that eight 8 ounce glasses is only a suggested minimum and that you may require more water in order to maintain good overall health and efficient weight loss. An easy way in which to ensure that you meet your minimum water intake requirements is by drinking a full 8 ounce glass of water with each of your 6 daily meals.
