Losing Weight Routine: What You Need to Know
A losing weight routine is a mix of eating and moving that helps you use more calories than you eat and be healthier. Using more calories than you eat means that you lose weight. But not all calories are the same, and you also need to think about the quality and balance of your food choices, as well as the kind and level of your physical activity.
Here is a sample losing weight routine that you can do for 4 weeks. It is based on a 1200-calorie eating plan and a medium exercise program. You can change the calories and the exercise according to your personal needs and likes, but make sure to talk to your doctor before starting any losing weight routine.
Eating Plan
The eating plan has three main meals and two snacks per day, with a total of 1200 calories. Each meal should have a source of protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and fiber. The snacks should be low in calories and high in nutrients, such as fruits, nuts, yogurt, or hummus. Here is an example of a daily menu:
- Breakfast: 1 whole wheat bread with 2 mixed eggs and 1/4 avocado, 1 cup of green tea (250 calories)
- Snack: 1 medium apple with 1 tbsp of peanut butter (180 calories)
- Lunch: 2 cups of mixed salad leaves with 3 oz of cooked chicken meat, 1/4 cup of small tomatoes, 1/4 cup of cucumber, 2 tbsp of low-fat dressing, 1 whole wheat bread (350 calories)
- Snack: 1/2 cup of low-fat plain yogurt with 1/4 cup of blueberries (100 calories)
- Dinner: 3 oz of cooked salmon with 1/2 cup of brown rice, 1 cup of steamed broccoli, 1 tsp of olive oil, 1 lemon slice (320 calories)
Moving Plan
The moving plan has 30 minutes of medium to hard physical activity, 5 days a week. You can pick any activity that you like and that makes your heart beat faster, such as walking, running, biking, swimming, or dancing. You can also mix and match different activities to keep your routine fun and different. Here is an example of a weekly schedule:
- Monday: 30 minutes of fast walking
- Tuesday: 30 minutes of biking
- Wednesday: Rest day
- Thursday: 30 minutes of running
- Friday: 30 minutes of swimming
- Saturday: Rest day
- Sunday: 30 minutes of dancing
Besides the aerobic exercise, you should also do some strength training, which can help you build muscle and make your metabolism faster. You can do some easy exercises at home, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, planks, and bridges, or use some bands or weights. Try to do 2 to 3 sessions of strength training per week, with at least one day of rest between them. Here is an example of a strength training routine:
- Warm-up: 5 minutes of light cardio, such as running or jumping
- Circuit: Do 10 to 15 times of each exercise, with 30 seconds of rest between them. Do the circuit 2 to 3 times, with 2 minutes of rest between each round.
- Squats
- Lunges
- Push-ups
- Planks
- Bridges
- Cool-down: 5 minutes of stretching, focusing on the big muscle groups
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