how to lose weight
At its most basic, losing weight is about burning more calories than what you eat.
That seems simple enough, but if it were really that simple, none of us would have a weight problem. Too often we take drastic measures to see results, such as diets, pills or those weird fitness gadgets on infomercials that promise us instant success. Maybe you lose weight but what happens when you go off that diet or stop that crazy workout program? You gain it all back and more. The real secret to weight loss is to make small, lasting changes.
The key is to forget about instant results and settle in for the long run. According to studies, 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.
By calculating your basal metabolic rate, you are able to calculate the amount of calories your body needs to maintain basic bodily functions like breathing and digestion.
This is the minimum number of calories you need to eat each day. Also, calculate your activity level. For a week or so, keep an activity journal and use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while sitting, standing, exercising, lifting weights, and the like throughout the day. Another, easier option is to wear a heart rate monitor that calculates calories burned. After a week, add your totals for each day and average them out to get a general idea of how many calories you burn each day. Then, keep track of how many calories you eat. For at least a week, enter and track your calories 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. After a week, add your
That seems simple enough, but if it were really that simple, none of us would have a weight problem. Too often we take drastic measures to see results, such as diets, pills or those weird fitness gadgets on infomercials that promise us instant success. Maybe you lose weight but what happens when you go off that diet or stop that crazy workout program? You gain it all back and more. The real secret to weight loss is to make small, lasting changes.
The key is to forget about instant results and settle in for the long run. According to studies, 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.
By calculating your basal metabolic rate, you are able to calculate the amount of calories your body needs to maintain basic bodily functions like breathing and digestion.
This is the minimum number of calories you need to eat each day. Also, calculate your activity level. For a week or so, keep an activity journal and use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while sitting, standing, exercising, lifting weights, and the like throughout the day. Another, easier option is to wear a heart rate monitor that calculates calories burned. After a week, add your totals for each day and average them out to get a general idea of how many calories you burn each day. Then, keep track of how many calories you eat. For at least a week, enter and track your calories 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. After a week, add your