What’s the Secret to Successful Weight Loss?

You want the magic secret to losing weight? Commercial diets claim to have it, and so do fitness trainers and magazines. That’s why Americans spend upwards of $60 billion annually in their quest for a thinner frame. Oftentimes, these promised magic solutions fail -- leaving you tired, hungry, and no thinner than when you started.

Weight loss can be complicated, but is boiled down to a simple equation of calories in versus calories out. The secret to successful weight loss is to be consistent in taking in fewer calories than you burn, and managing your hunger and energy in the process.

Read on how you can tap into this secret and successfully reach a healthy weight.

Consume a low-calorie diet

Reducing your calorie intake below what you burn daily creates the calorie deficit necessary to prompt weight loss. The staff at Lowcountry Beauty and Wellness Spa can help you determine what’s a safe, low-calorie limit for you, so you can drop weight.

Make the calories you do eat come from mostly whole, unprocessed foods. Choose lean proteins, fresh produce, whole grains, and small amounts of healthy, unsaturated fats. Avoid “saving” your calories for treats, soda, fancy coffee drinks, and junk-food snacks. Fill up on the nutritious stuff to satisfy your body and optimize weight loss.

Be consistent with your eating plan

Overeating at one meal and starving at the next sets you up for failure. Have a set schedule for the times of day you eat, and the approximate size and contents of each meal. Usually four or five small meals suits most people. This helps control your hunger levels so you can stick to your daily calorie goal. The hCG therapy offered by Lowcountry Plastic Surgery can also help you manage your hunger and energy levels.

Stay physically active

Move every chance you get. Formal exercise, such as jogging or cardio classes, matters when it comes to weight loss, but so does your day-to-day activity level. Walk and move whenever the opportunity arises. Park farther out in the lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or pace while on the phone. Aim to take more than 11,000 steps per day as measured on a pedometer.

Weigh yourself regularly

Your weight can fluctuate a few pounds day to day depending on hormones and water retention. However, if you consistently see the scale creeping up over a couple of weeks, you know it’s time to take action. Ask yourself if you’ve been too permissive with your eating habits lately, skipped workouts, or are under stress. Review your habits and coping mechanisms to get back on track before you’ve gained a significant amount of weight.

Lowcountry Beauty and Wellness Spa at Lowcountry Plastic Surgery Center  offers personalized support during your weight loss effort, too. This way, when you feel discouraged, hungry, or helpless, you have someone to whom you can turn for support. The staff cares about your success and helps keep you on track. Having that social support and accountability goes a long way in helping you lose weight.

And, when you encounter stubborn areas of fat -- such as love handles or thighs -- that just doesn’t respond to your weight loss efforts, consider one of the many cutting-edge body sculpting therapies offered at Lowcountry Plastic Surgery Center to put the finishing touches on your physique.