If you look past all the fad diets and "miracle" exercise machines, the math of safe, steady, certain weight loss is actually pretty simple. Determine how many calories your body needs to maintain your weight, and then use a combination of diet and exercise to stay below that calorie threshold every day. It's not an instant solution, but it will lead to certain weight loss.
Step 1
Determine your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. The BMR is the minimum amount of calories your body burns in a day just by being awake. BMR is calculated with the following formulas: for women: 655 + (4.35 x weight in lbs.) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years); for men: 66 + (6.23 x weight in lbs.) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years).
Step 2
Adjust your BMR based on your activity level to determine how many calories you need per day to maintain your weight. Use the following guidelines to adjust your BMR: sedentary, no exercise: BMR x 1.2; easy exercise one to three days a week: BMR x 1.375; moderate exercise three to five days a week: BMR x 1.55; hard exercise six to seven days a week: BMR x 1.725; extremely active, hard exercise and physical job: BMR x 1.9.
Step 3
Determine how much of a calorie deficit you need to lose weight. A general guideline for safe weight loss is 1 lb. per week, and 1 lb. is the equivalent of 3,500 calories. So, to lose 1 lb. per week, you need to burn 3,500 more calories in that week -- or 500 calories per day -- than you take in.
Step 4
Cut calories from your diet safely and healthfully. For example, switch from full-fat to low-fat dairy products; eat grilled or steamed foods instead of fried foods; drink plain water or other calorie-free beverages instead of soda or juice; and eat smaller portions of high-calorie foods and increasing fruit and vegetable portions.
Step 5
Increase your daily activity. Adding a half-hour of vigorous exercise or an hour of moderate exercise to your day will burn 250 to 350 calories, depending on your weight and the specific activity. Combine the calories burned from exercise and your calorie-cutting diet efforts, and you should be in the threshold of that 500-calorie deficit needed to lose 1 lb. a week.
Tips and Warnings
- Burn calories above your BMR by doing more exercise and/or change your diet to take in fewer calories. For example, if your adjusted BMR is 1,900 calories, you can lose 1 lb. per week by eating 1,650 calories and burning 250 calories through exercise per day. Trying new things will help you keep from getting bored with dieting and exercising. Learn how to prepare a healthy dish you've never tried before or take a new exercise class with a friend to keep things interesting.
- Always talk to your doctor before beginning any diet.
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