If you read my last article “Practical advice for healthy and sustainable weight loss” I discussed the importance of establishing the “why” in the question; Why do I want to lose weight? It is probably the single most important element of anyone’s weight loss journey. Spend some time on this, take all the time you need. Here are a few answers you may use for your “why”
1. Health issues
2. Doctors advice
3.Strong desire to get healthy
4. Want to start a new activity such as hiking, biking, swimming, etc.
5. Want to feel good about yourself.
My reason was I wanted to feel good about myself. I didn’t realize how I looked to others or even myself, until I found myself shirtless on a family game show. It was life changing for me, and it has led me on a weight loss journey for my entire life.
This is my point on establishing the “why”? It has to be so ingrained at such a deep personal level that the why will last you a lifetime.
How much Weight and How long to Lose it
So you have now spent enough time and you have a very strong why, the next question is how much weight are you planning on losing and how long are you giving yourself to lose this weight.
My Secret Trainer: How much weight did our fictional character Paige need to lose.
In the book I authored, the main character Paige was instructed by her doctor to lose 50 pounds. She was borderline Type 2 diabetic and her doctor wanted her to lose the weight for her health.
Let’s use a 50 pound weight loss goal as an example of calculating approximately how much weight you can safely lose per month and approximately when you will achieve your target weight safely. To lose 4 pounds per month, you need to lose a pound in one week, you will need a calorie deficit of 3500 per week. That is approximately a 500 calorie deficit per day.
If Paige wants to lose the 50 pounds in one year, this would be her weight loss plan;
Lose 1 pound per week
Lose 4 pounds per month
Lose 48 pounds per year
This seems like a reasonable plan, but is it realistic for you?
Is 3500 calories equal to 1 pound?
Traditionally speaking, 3500 calories is equal to 1 pound of fat. This was the calculation method I used in my book, “My Secret Trainer”. Remember we are talking numbers here, and with any calculation there are variables. But, we have to start somewhere, and some numbers are easy to remember such as 3500 calories is equal to 1 pound. If I want to lose weight, I have to eat less calories.
Is it really that easy to lose weight. Eat 3500 calories less?
The answer is yes and no. Yes it is that easy, but no it is not easy when life, job, family, stress, and hundreds of other factors get in the way of this seemingly achievable goal. But if you remove all of the distractions and can focus only on yourself, it is a very realistic way to lose weight. Need more evidence?
Richard Hatch from the TV show Survivor
Richard Hatch was the first winner on the TV show Survivor. If you are not familiar with the show, you are placed on a remote location, and you literally must forage for your own meals. In 39 days, Richard Hatch lost 39 pounds!!! He also went back on the show the following year and lost another 50 plus pounds. He lost almost 100 pounds in one year!!! Amazing right? Not so much.
This example is only to show you it is possible, but is certainly not safe and will not last you a lifetime. This is not healthy nor sustainable.
Richard Hatch struggled with his weight throughout his life.
Lets start by looking at how much you eat?
Take a snapshot of how much food and drink you consume daily. And everything counts except water. For this exercise we are not looking at sugar, fat, sodium, etc. We just need to know how many calories a day we are consuming. Be honest with yourself. This weight loss journey is about you and you alone.
In my book, Paige counted her calories for a week. She simply recorded everything she ate in a notepad, she recorded the time of day she ate, and used an online calorie counter, or read the labels on the packages. It takes a little bit of time, but is a good lesson on understanding how much and how frequent you are eating.
PRO TIP: It is important when reading a calorie label that you understand, the calorie number is per serving. So if you have a bag of chips and the calorie label says 120, you might think that is good. But the 120 means calories per serving, so a serving may be 6 chips. If you eat the whole bag, it may be over 500 calories!
How many calories in a healthy diet.
General daily calorie intake is recommended as follows;
Female with sedentary activity is approximately 1800-2000 calorie intake daily
Male with sedentary activity is approximately 2200-2400 calorie intake daily
These numbers are general and each person has their own individual metabolism, health, etc., meaning each individual may vary on reactions to calorie intake.
Start logging in your daily calorie intake
Take a pad of paper or notepad and make a simple list of
1. What you are eating
2. What time you are eating
3. How many calories for each food or drink
4. Total daily calories.
Compare your daily calorie intake versus general calorie intake recommendation
What’s next?
If your calorie intake exceeds the recommended allowance,
1.Bring your intake down to the recommended amount.
2.Try to eliminate fast food from your diet.
Our next article will discuss healthy diet plan after you understand what your calorie intake is.
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