By this point we all know that to lose a lot of weight, a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise is the answer. But what is a diet to lose a lot of weight? The quality and quantity of the calories you take in are essential to weight loss, which comes down to a ratio of calories in to calories out. To lose a single pound in a week you need to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories, or 500 calories a day.
Time Frame
A healthy rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds a week. Over time this results in major weight loss that stays off, unlike the rapid weight loss you see with a crash diet which is normally followed by a weight gain of what you lost and then some. To lose 1 to 2 pounds a week you need to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 to 7,000 a week. That's 500 to 1,000 calories a day.
Calorie Counting
Track your diet and calorie count via a food journal. This is an informative tool that will help you identify any stress eating or certain items in your diet that can derail you from your goals. Food journals are available online and through free smart phone applications.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE, is the amount of calories you burn in a day between your Basal Metabolic Rate, the amount of calories your body burns on its own, and your daily activity. <br /><br /><br /><br />You need to first determine your BMR.<br /><br /><br /><br />The formula for men is:<br /><br />66 + (13.7 X weight in kg) + (5 X height in cm) -- (6.8 X age)<br /><br /><br /><br />The formula for women is:<br /><br />655 + (9.6 X weight in kg) + (1.8 X height in cm) -- (4.7 X age)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />To get your TDEE, multiply your BMR by an activity factor. For sedentary people, with little to no exercise, it's 1.2; Lightly active, exercising one to three days,1.375; Moderately active, exercising six or seven days a week, 1.55; Very active, exercising every day and sometimes twice a day, 1.725. the resulting number the point of your caloric deficit.
Nutrition
The quality of your diet is just as important as the quantity of calories you take in. The Mayo Clinic says 45 percent to 65 percent of your diet should be made up of carbohydrates, protein should represent 10 percent to 35 percent, and fat should account for 20 percent to 35 percent.
Water
Drink plenty of water, at least 64 oz. per day. Water is a natural detoxifying agent that has been proven to increase metabolism for a short period of time. You can curb your appetite by drinking a large glass of water before a meal.
Meal Planning
Eating five to six times a day is a healthy way to curb your appetite between meals so you don't show up at the table ravenous and then eat too much, too fast. It takes your body 20 minutes to recognize that it is full, so eating slowly will also help you avoid overeating at meals. A day of healthy eating should begin with breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack and dinner. Try to keep dessert to once or twice a week.
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