Safe weight reduction takes time and effort, but by making lifestyle changes that incorporate proper

nutrition and physical activity, you can lose and maintain your weight for the long-term.

Before making changes, it is a good idea to think about several important questions:

Why do you want to lose weight? To improve your health or your appearance? Is it for a special event?
Permanent, safe weight reduction takes time.

Do you really need to lose weight? We weren't all born to be thin or conform to society's definition of
the ideal body. Your body size and shape depend on multiple factors, including your genes, eating
patterns, Resting Energy Expenditure (see definition below) and exercise. You may want to accept and
Love Your Body while trying to improve your health.

What is a realistic amount of weight for you to lose and maintain? For individuals who are overweight,
just a 5-10% weight loss can improve health.

Physiology of weight reduction:

To lose weight you must burn more calories than you eat. Basic body functions (e.g. breathing,
manufacturing cells and maintaining body temperature) use 50-70% of your calories. The rate at which
your body uses calories for basic body functions is called the Resting Energy Expenditure (REE).

Your genes, age, gender and body composition largely determine your REE. In this way, much of your
energy use is predetermined. However, the amount of energy you burn each day also depends in part
on how much exercise you get, which you can affect.

For safe weight loss, it is recommended that you lose no more than 1-2 pounds per week. To lose one
pound per week, you would need to burn and/or reduce your intake by about 3500 calories, or about
500 calories per day.

Reject a diet mentality:

If you adopt restrictive, negative thinking that accompanies diets, you may feel deprived and ultimately
defeated, and this can actually trigger overeating or the development of an eating disorder. To reach a
healthy weight, don't diet. Instead practice eating well and moving your body to serve you best long-
term.