Start by making an honest assessment of your emotional, spiritual, and physical well being. Many of us eat when things in our life are not the way that we would like them to be. Next, start today by avoiding excess amounts of fattening, hi-calorie foods such as cakes, donuts, chips, sodas, etc. A slow but consistent weight loss is better than rapid weight loss. If this goal is achieved, further weight loss can be considered.
Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
This can be achieved with a decrease of 300 to 500 calories per day. For severely obese individuals, a decrease of 500 to 1,000 calories per day will be required to achieve similar results. After 6 months, the rate of weight loss usually declines because of decreased energy expenditure at the lower weight. Perhaps the most difficult part of weight loss is the long-term maintenance. We have all seen the difficulties that celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Luther Vandross have had with maintaining their weight loss after realizing significant reductions.