A lot of young and old people are obese these days, and many more are on their way to join them. According to a recent survey, about a third of the entire U.S population is obese, and around 17% of children are overweight. People who are overweight are susceptible to various complications like diabetes, hypertension, and heart-related diseases.

Many people who want to do something about their girth get confused about what exactly they should do. Most of them opt for shortcut strategies like weight-loss pills and crash diets that might work for some time but are actually highly ineffective in the long run.

In fact, diet programs that require people to starve should be totally avoided. The important point here is that the key to losing weight is patience and the will to do something about it. Do you remember the old adage “all good things take time”? Well, the same reasoning applies to losing weight. Losing weight needs time, persistence and patience.

Proper planning with regards to both diet and exercise is very crucial. A great way to get on the right path to losing weight is to consult a dietician who can help in planning a personalized diet and exercise regimen to be followed, depending on the metabolism of the individual.

By far, the simplest exercise for losing weight is brisk walking every day. Surprisingly, a person can lose up to 180 calories walking for at least 30 minutes. And what is the best time to take a walk? The ideal time to walk is in the early morning, as this helps maintain the metabolism rate at higher levels throughout the day, which in turn, helps in reducing weight.

Some simple lifestyle changes like using the stairs instead of the elevator can go a long way in reducing weight gradually. Also, walking for short distances instead of a using a vehicle can definitely help. Skipping rope or rope jumping is an often underestimated method of losing weight. But the good news is that it skipping rope is a wonderful exercise that helps in reducing fat in both, the lower and upper parts of the body. Similarly, engaging in swimming, bicycle riding, and regular workouts at the gymnasium help in keeping the body trim and active.

While exercising is great for weight loss one has to also stress the need for a balanced diet. Without a balanced healthy diet, exercising to lose body fat could become a futile task. There are many misconceptions about losing weight. For example, some people feel that by skipping meals they can lose weight faster. However, this never works. Our stomach tends to store calories when we skip a meal, which only makes things worse. The best diet plan is to eat around 5 to 6 times a day in small quantities. This is done to trick the stomach and prevent it from storing unnecessary calories in the body.

A well planned diet should be low in fat and carbohydrates and high in proteins. It is okay to indulge in occasional weekend parties as long as a proper diet plan is maintained each day. These days, most children, stop jumping and running as they grow up, and tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle. It is vital that parents should encourage their children to engage in exercise for at least 10 minutes on a daily basis.

These small steps can slowly but surely help you reach your weight loss goals effectively. All it needs is a strong will power, patience and persistence. These 3 crucial ingredients can transform you into the slimmer and healthier person you always wanted to be. So, if you have been thinking and procrastinating about making a start, there can be no better time to begin losing weight than now. Start today and soon you will begin to notice higher energy levels, more mental focus and a huge confidence boost as you keep losing the inches. Isn’t this reason enough to begin your diet and exercise regimen today?

Marke Sanders is a life coach who specializes in diet and nutrition for healthy lifestyle management. Marke enjoys the culinary arts and writes extensively on his blog what are capers where he explores the surprising culinary facets of capers.

Marke Sanders is a life coach who specializes in diet and nutrition for healthy lifestyle management. Marke enjoys the culinary arts and writes extensively on his blog http://www.whatarecapers.org where he explores the surprising culinary facets of capers.

Author Bio: Marke Sanders is a life coach who specializes in diet and nutrition for healthy lifestyle management. Marke enjoys the culinary arts and writes extensively on his blog what are capers where he explores the surprising culinary facets of capers.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: reducing weight, losing weight, weight loss, weight reduction