Regardless of what kind of diet you follow, cutting calories is the most effective way to lose weight. At least this is the conclusion of a 2009 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in which researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center pitted varieties of diets with differing macro-nutrient ratios against one another. In the long-run, all participants lost weight as long as they reduced their caloric intake. Create a deficit of 3,500 calories by eating less and by exercising to lose one pound. With this strategy, it is easy to figure out how long it will take you to drop to your goal weight.
Step 1
Determine your goal weight. Figure out how many pounds you need to lose to reach that weight. Break that number into smaller goals if you have a large amount of weight to lose (more than 40 pounds) so it seems more attainable. Use a body mass index (BMI( calculator (see Resources) or consult a physician for advice on a realistic weight for your height, gender, age and body type.
Step 2
Write down everything you eat for at least a week to estimate your current average daily caloric intake. Make your calorie estimations using a nutrition website or consult a calorie-counting book.
Step 3
Figure out how many calories you can realistically trim given your daily average consumption. Try for a 500-calorie reduction at first because this is usually manageable and might be as easy as cutting out a daily soda at lunch, avoiding the extra cookie in the break room, switching to fat-free dairy for your cereal and passing up on a second helping at dinner. Make exercise part of your daily habit to add to your daily deficit. Plan on at least 250 calories burned in exercise by jogging for a half hour, walking for an hour or taking an hour-long yoga class. Cut, for example, 500 calories a day in food intake and exercise off 250 calories a day for a total daily deficit of 750 calories.
Step 4
Take your daily deficit and multiply by seven to estimate the caloric deficit you create in one week. Use the 750-calorie deficit as an example and multiply by 7 to equal 5,250 total calories. Divide by the amount of calories in one pound (3,500) to result in a 1.5 lb per week loss.
Step 5
Divide the number of pounds you need to lose to reach your goal weight by your weekly weight loss amount to determine how long it will take you to reach your goal. Calculate, for example, the time it takes to lose 15 lbs--divide 15 by the 1.5 lb per week weight loss. You reach your goal in approximately 10 weeks.
Tips and Warnings
- Eating a balanced diet will help you reach your goals more quickly. When limiting calories, make nutritional choices such as whole grains, vegetables and fruit and lean protein rather than junk food. These choices will help your energy levels to promote exercise and movement throughout your day to increase your calorie burn.
- Be careful not to drop below 1200 calories per day if you are female and 1500 calories a day if you are male or you risk weakness, fatigue and nutritional deficiencies.
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