Female Weight Loss Made Easy

A lot of slimmers are looking for some easy and simple tips that can help them achieve effective weight loss and effective weight management for the long run. Most experts agree that being over weight is down to a combination of our lifestyle and also down to our genetic make-up.

The good news is that almost all of us can achieve our weight loss targets and goals by adopting a balanced approach to eating and to exercise. Going on a 'diet splurge' rarely delivers lasting results following a few weeks of elation over a loss of a few pounds. The answer to lasting weight loss is a little more complex.

Key Steps to Lose Weight and Sustain the Results

Get Active

Firstly, it's essential to realise that a sedentary lifestyle (such as working 9-5 in an office, driving home and then slouching on the sofa) is one of the key causes of excess weight. In fact, many of us have discovered to our horror that after losing a few lbs by eating well, our weight piles back on once we have a 'bad week' and fail to burn off those extra calories! So getting active really is essential, even if that means a 20 minute walk home rather than working away in the gym. The little things make a real difference and they can help create the 'calorie deficit' that's key to losing and sustaining weight loss.

Change Your Eating Habits

Whether you enjoy your packet of crisps or rely too heavily on takeaways and processed foods, switching to a healthier and balanced diet will help in your quest to lose weight. It's not about going fat or sugar free, it's about balancing your intake and eating the right amount of food.

From portion control to reducing sugars, reducing excess carbohydrates and cutting down on fats to balance your intake. As a guide why not aim for roughly :

Fat : c. 25% of total calories
Protein : c. 20% of total calories
Carbohydrates : 55% of total calories

Get Healthy

If you need a reason to slim down and get active, your health has to be one of them. In fact, just losing a few lbs and making any form of exercise a part of your life can slash the chances of a host of illnesses and diseases associated with obesity. Thinking of your health is a big boost to get you motivated after all, we all want to look great, but adding years to your life if enough to make most of us make the extra effort to eat well and exercise.

Maintaining Weight After Weight Loss

Once you've shed your excess weight, it's all about weight management. Weight "maintenance" is really down to making a conscious choice to exercise frequently and to continue to stick to a calorie intake that's low enough to maintain or further reduce your current weight. It does not mean starving yourself just being healthier in your food choices.

You can achieve this goal by boosting your intake of unprocessed foods such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and avoiding overly-processed food. Exercise can either be structured (such as the gym, classes, jogging or a DVD) or habitual (such as walking the dog). Increasing the duration, frequency and intensity of exercise will make weight maintenance much easier. What's more, you will be able to eat more and treat yourself more often if you are exercising vigorously for 30-60 minutes, 3-5 times per week.

Risks of 'Fad Dieting' & 'Magic' Weight Loss Products

Losing weight and keeping it off is about moderation not crazy, unhealthy fads. Resorting to these fad diets simply sends you and your body into shock and the results (if you get any) are very rarely long-lasting. For example, you can't keep up a 800 calorie diet for very long without becoming potentially very ill and looking awful, while who really wants to never eat bread again?

In contrast, a balanced diet and exercise plan will help you lose 1-2lbs per week and that's sustained results over many months until you achieve a healthy, desirable weight and body. Most experts suggest that 1-3lbs is a healthy target that reduces any potential side-effects which can occur with very rapid weight loss. What's more, 4-9lbs per month is a lot when you think about it.

Although some people will drop weight at a faster rate than others, moderate weight loss is much easier to maintain once you achieve your target weight.

Another reason to skip the fad diet regimes is their apparent disregard for dietary guidelines. For example, who wants to lose 6lbs in 3 days if it genuinely risks your health? The only exception is generally in extreme cases where doctors may advise rapid weight loss plans for severely obese individuals.

The Myth of Quick Solutions to Weight Problems

Evidently, the miracle pill and easy solution to weight loss is a myth. Despite living in a very advanced society, the promise of a super fat loss pill or wonder exercise machine will always turn out to be too good to be true. The TV shopping channels are a favourite place to find the promises of 'eating yourself thin' and 'dropping a dress size in a week' but sadly it's essentially just marketing lies.

Many women have fallen for the lies, only to find that there is only one real way to lose weight and keep it off for good eat a balanced diet and exercise/get active regularly to create a calorie deficit that delivers real weight loss. Simple but not 'easy' and not particularly 'fast'.

There are some research proven nutrients such as green tea and caffeine which can help to support weight loss and curb appetite, but they only work when you start to consistently follow the true 'golden rules'. Anyone who cries aloud that weight loss can be effortless is either lying or has never really been over-weight.

Can Supplements Support my Weight Loss?

Nutrition is very important and supplements do have a place in supporting your slimming and body ambitions when combined with a good exercise plan. Using research-blended shakes, bars and capsules makes it easier to control your nutrition with a busy lifestyle, curb-cravings and boost the results of exercise. Ultimately, weight loss isn't about fad fixes. It's about being committed and patient enough to gradually adopt a new lifestyle that delivers real, lasting results.

The Truth about Weight Loss

Ultimately look at what's proven time and time again :

• Reduce the number of calories you eat
• Increase the amount of energy you burn off by exercising

Of course, it makes sense to try and do both, as recommended by experts.