Pills and shakes, diet plans and prepared meals. Americans spend at least $40 million a year on diets. When you sift through all the hype, scientists agree that weight loss is a simple equation -- burn more calories than you consume. Every human body needs a different number of calories to maintain its current weight. Eat and drink fewer calories and exercise to burn off even more, and your body will shed pounds on a regular basis. Figure out your personal calorie count and begin a logical plan for permanent weight loss.
Step 1
Write down everything you eat or drink for one week. Include the name of the food, the amount you consumed and the ingredients. If your week includes a holiday or other special day, skip that day and record the next normal day instead.
Step 2
Search through a calorie book at the end of the week to find the calorie counts for everything you consumed in the past week. Include all partial portions by dividing the total calories in half, if necessary. Add up all seven days' worth of calories; then divide by seven. This is your beginning daily calorie count.
Step 3
Subtract 500 from your beginning daily calorie count. One lb. of fat equals 3,500 calories, so removing 500 calories every day should cause you to lose 1 lb. every week. Your new total is your beginning diet daily calorie count.
Step 4
Write down three or four kinds of physical activity you like to do. Include fun things like playing basketball, walking the dog or walking in the woods. Check calorie burn charts to find how many calories you burn per minute with each activity. Add up the minutes to find how long you need to do each activity to burn 250 calories.
Step 5
Plan your menu a week at a time. Include three healthy meals each day. Find interesting recipes with healthy ingredients that are lower in calories. Allow about 200 free calories each day so that you can choose a snack or two.
Step 6
Write down everything you eat and drink each day to keep your consumption within your daily diet calorie count. Make sure you include a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains to get your needed nutrients.
Step 7
Do one physical activity each day to burn off 250 calories, but take one or two days off each week for your body to recover. These workouts should result in an additional 1/2 lb. loss each week, totaling a safe 1 to 2 lb. total loss every week.
Things You'll Need
- Food journal
- Calorie book
- Calorie burn charts
- Calculator
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