I want to lose weight. What should I do?
Summary
Losing weight is simple on the surface, but can be tricky to achieve in a way that is fit for your body and your health. The key to a healthy diet is to consume the appropriate amount of calories for how active you are so you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. For example, if you eat or drink more than your body needs, the energy that is not being used will be stored as fat. This will cause weight gain. On the other hand, if you eat or drink too little, the use of stored fat will cause you to lose weight. People who are looking to lose weight should typically cut between 250-500 calories a day from their baseline daily calorie intake, depending on a variety of factors such as age, height or activity level. This would translate in about a 1lbs calorie loss / week. To put this in context, rough guidelines indicate that men should have around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules) and women should have around 2,000 calories a day (8,400 kilojoules). Of course, it is possible to figure this out with much more precision with information not only pertaining to physical attributes but also levels of activity, fitness goals and any medical considerations. (And that is what we do when we first onboard our customers).
The Details
The most important factor in losing weight isn’t working out. It’s eating right. Running for 30 mins will burn anywhere between 200-500 calories. It’s a good complement to good nutrition but it won’t get you there. To lose weight, you need to first figure out what your ideal weight should be (maybe your body is not meant to lose as much as you think) and then eat a balanced diet that will get your body what it needs to be healthy. This is the difference between restricting yourself too much and feeling tired and down all the time vs feeling energetic and sprightly! Extremes are to be avoided: being overweight can lead to type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke, etc. Being underweight can lead to anorexia, anemia, malnutrition, etc. You can use an online BMI calculator to get a rough sense for where you stand on that spectrum.
What does a balanced diet include? When you look to create a balanced diet, a good tip is to think about colors. A balanced diet contains carbohydrates, proteins, dairy products, fruits and vegetables. Eating lots of different kinds of fruit and vegetables throughout the day provide benefits for all parts of your body. It’s recommended that you consume at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. They can be fresh, canned, dried, frozen, or juiced. A portion of fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables is 80g. While a portion of dried fruit is 30g. Are vegetables really necessary? Yes and here’s a little trick: the more you eat them, the more you crave them. If you eat great salads on a regular basis, you’ll find yourself wanting that fresh crunch when lunchtime rolls around. Not to get sidetracked but a simple seasoning like a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon (or a dash of white vinegar) is all you need! And it’s cheaper than store-bought dressings. Try to include at least 1 starchy food with each main meal. Sometimes people tend to eliminate starchy carbohydrates because they think they are fattening, but choosing the right starchy carbs like those that have fiber should be eaten in moderation. They help you feel full longer and make you less likely to binge eat.
Things to watch out for. Limit your sugar intake by cutting down on cookies, sweets, processed foods, store-bought salad dressings, juices, sodas, alcohol (!) while making sure to indulge in a regular treat. I may be speaking for myself but life without a bit of chocolate every now and then would be a sad one! Fat is also very important for our body - in fact, you would harm your body if you didn’t consume any -, but not all fats are created equal. There are 2 main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated fat. Saturated fat is found in foods like processed meats, butter, cream, bakery items, and hard cheese. For a healthy option of fat, try to choose foods that contain unsaturated fat like nuts, olive oil, seeds, and avocado. On average, men should have no more than 30g of saturated fat a day. On average, women should have no more than 20g of saturated fat a day. Starchy carbohydrates should generally be present but in limited quantities: you want to prioritize nutrient dense foods like veggies and lean proteins instead. Some examples of starchy carbohydrates include rice, pasta, cereal, potatoes, bread, etc. When choosing carbohydrates, try to aim for whole grain or higher dietary fiber content varieties, such as whole wheat pasta, potatoes with skin, brown rice, wheat berries, farro, barley, quinoa.
We didn’t say you shouldn’t work out. While a smart diet with appropriate weight goals is key to weight loss, regular exercise is important for your overall health and wellbeing, is a good complement to a healthy diet and can also reduce risks of future health conditions. Did you know? Benefits of exercising include lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and increasing your metabolism. So how much exercise should you be doing? It is recommended that you perform some form of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, etc) for a minimum of 20 minutes per session at least three times a week. Burning 700 calories a week in conjunction with an appropriate diet is equivalent to 10 lbs of weight loss over the course of a year. Calories burned per hour from common activities like playing basketball, golf, or cleaning the house range from 240 to 300 calories. Brisk walking, biking, dancing, or gardening range burn from 370 to 460 calories per hour. Skiing, racquetball, or running can burn from 740 to 920 calories. These numbers are again dependent on various attributes and can vary.
Sleep. Lack of sleep can make it hard for our bodies to lose weight because of hormones like cortisol. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone and activates when you’re stressed or tired. How does it work? It prepares your body for a tough situation by increasing sugar in the bloodstream and the availability of substances that repair tissues. Long-term increased cortisol may increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and other chronic diseases as well as weight gain. Cortisol may increase appetite and signal the body to shift metabolism to store fat. So when we say relax and get your sleep, we weren’t kidding.
Patience. Nobody wants to hear that, especially when summer is around the corner. Significant weight loss or weight gain in a short amount of time will lead to unsteady fluctuations in your weight. They may even lead to weight gain in the end. Slow and steady weight changes are best because they are easier to achieve and easier to maintain. Sometimes, you need to try different types of exercise as well as varying diets to see results.