There is an overwhelming amount of information about weight loss available today: low carbs, no carbs, eat before a workout, work out on an empty stomach. It's a system overload. The basis of weight loss is simple: calories in to calories out. Create a caloric deficit through diet and exercise to lose weight, as 3,500 calories is equal to one pound of fat. A healthy weight loss is 1 to 2 lbs. a week, making a weekly calorie deficit of 3,500 to 7,000 calories per week or 500 to 700 calories per day. When you have the right facts about weight loss the formula becomes easy.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Determine your basal metabolic rate or BMR, courtesy of the website Calories Per Hour. Your BMR is the amount of calories your body naturally burns without activity. This is determined by multiplying your weight by 10. To determine how many calories you burn including your daily activities, multiply your BMR depending on your exercise level.
If you are sedentary, your BMR is 1.2; lightly active with exercise 1 to 3 days a week is 1.375. Moderately active with moderate exercise of 3 to 5 days each week is 1.55; very active doing hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week is 1.725; and extra active with very hard exercise, a physical job or 2x training ranks a BMR of 1.9. Create your deficit from this number.
Food Journal
Write down everything you eat. A food journal is a great reflective tool to assess where you may fall short in your diet. Include your mood during times you snack to determine if there are emotional cues such as stress. Try to write keep your food journal for at least three weekdays and one day on the weekend.
Eating Habits
Eating should be your only activity at meal times. Don't watch TV, talk on the phone or surf the net while eating. Distracting yourself leads to mindless snacking, providing extra calories that make you gain weight.
Meal Planning
Don't be afraid to snack. Eating 5 to 6 times a day is a good way to curb your appetite in between meals so you don't show up at the table ravenous and then eat too much, too fast. Try to stick with a meal plan that consists of breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack and dinner. Try to keep dessert to once or twice a week.
Workout Program
Get moving. As you could tell from the BRM formula, the more physical activity you include in your day, the more calories you burn. Have a workout program that includes cardio and strength training. Aim for 75 to 150 minutes of cardio a week and two or more days of strength training, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cardio can be anything that gets your heart rate up like running, walking, dancing or swimming. Strength training should hit the major muscle groups of the legs, arms, back and chest.
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