Despite the way it feels, losing
weight isn't a mysterious process. It's a simple matter of burning more
calories than you eat. But, if it were really that simple, none of us would
have a weight problem, would we? Weight loss can be such a struggle that we
start thinking we have to do something drastic to see results -- diets, pills
or those weird fitness gadgets on infomercials that promise instant success.
The true secret to weight loss is this: Make small changes each and every day
and you'll slowly (but surely) lose those extra pounds. The key is to forget
about instant results and settle in for the long run.
Rules of
Weight Loss
To lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500
calories over and above what you already burn doing daily activities. That
sounds like a lot of calories and you certainly wouldn't want to try to burn
3500 calories in one day. However, by taking it step-by-step, you can determine
just what you need to do each day to burn or cut out those extra calories.
Below is a step by step process for getting started.
- Calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Your BMR is what your body needs to maintain normal functions
like breathing and digestion. This is the minimum number of calories you
need to eat each day. Keep in mind that no calculator will be 100%
accurate, so you may need to adjust these numbers as you go along.
- Calculate your activity level. Use a calorie calculator to figure out how many
calories you burn while sitting, standing, exercising, lifting weights,
etc. throughout the day. It helps to keep a daily activity journal or you
could even wear a heart rate monitor that calculates calories burned.
- Keep track of how many calories you eat. You can use a site like Calorie Count or use a food journal to write
down what you eat and drink each day. Be as accurate as possible,
measuring when you need to or looking up nutritional information for
restaurants, if you eat out.
- Add it up. Take your BMR number, add
your activity calories and then subtract your food calories from that
total. If you're eating more than you're burning, (your BMR + activity is
2000 and you're eating 2400 calories) you'll gain weight. If you're
burning more than you eat, you'll lose weight.
Example:
Mary's BMR is 1400 calories and she
burns 900 calories in daily activity with regular exercise, walking around and
doing household chores. To maintain her weight, she should be eating 2300
calories but, after keeping a food journal, Mary finds that she's eating 2550
calories every day. By eating 250 more calories than her body needs, Mary will
gain one pound every 2 weeks.
This example shows how easy it is to
gain weight without even knowing it. However, it's also easy to lose weight,
even if the process itself can be slow. You can start by making small changes
in your diet and activity levels and immediately start burning more calories
than you're eating. If you can find a way to burn an extra 200 to 500 calories
each day with both exercise and diet, you're on the right track. Try these
ideas:
|
Instead of...
|
Do this...
|
|
An afternoon Coke
|
Drink a glass of water. (calories
saved: 97)
|
|
An Egg McMuffin
|
Eat a small whole wheat bagel +1
Tbsp of peanut butter (calories saved: 185)
|
|
Using your break eat sweets
|
Walk up and down a flight of
stairs for 10 minutes (calories burned: 100)
|
|
Hitting the snooze button
|
Get up 10 minutes early and go for
a brisk walk (calories burned: 100)
|
|
Watching TV after work
|
Do 10 minutes of yoga (calories
burned: 50)
|
Total Calories Saved: 532 (based on a 140-pound person)
Exercise is an important weight loss
tool, but how much you need varies from person to person. The guidelines recommend at least 250 minutes per week, which comes out to
about 50 minutes, 5 days a week. If you're a beginner, start small, for example
with 3 days of cardio for 15-30 minutes, gradually adding time each week to
give your body time to adapt. Learn more about getting in shape and getting started with exercise.
0 comments:
Post a Comment