The Facts about Diet and Weight Loss
Time and time again, people “go on” diets; and that’s where they go wrong. “Going” on a diet automatically sets a person up for failure because what they are essentially doing is temporarily changing their eating and activity habits to produce the desired effect of weight loss. In my career as a government and corporate wellness manager, there was hardly a day that went by that I wasn’t asked about how to quickly lose weight. Most of these folks were on the verge of their annual summer vacation, or planning to go to a wedding or reunion of some sort. That told me many things about their seriousness; one in particular being that they weren’t in it for the long haul. Weight loss isn’t quick. It took years to pack on the pounds; so taking it off is going to take some time, ” my friends.” – thank you John McCain for that little slang term.
When you think of the word “diet” what do you envision? Carrot sticks, rice cakes, crystal light, slim fast; basically a zero fat diet? Why is it that with all the books out there on losing weight, are we still so confused about how to lose weight and keep it off? The word “diet” encompasses what your usual daily consumption of food amounts to. It’s not a magic word that has super powers to melt away your body fat. It is what it is….and it’s up to you to make it what it needs to be.
I wrote an earlier post on muscle mass and aging that is quite literally the missing link when it comes to how our body’s metabolism is regulated. So, instead of rehashing that information, I suggest you refer to it for the complete explanation.
Here are the basic facts about weight loss:
- Figure out approximately how many calories you are currently consuming (your daily diet), and how many calories you typically burn in a day. Start a daily journal to record everything you put in your mouth. You’ll be surprised at how much more you eat than you think!
- Take into consideration your very own, unique metabolism, by calculating your BMR (basal metabolic rate).
From bmi-calculator.net:
English BMR Formula Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) – ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) – ( 6.8 x age in year )Metric BMR Formula Women: BMR = 655 + ( 9.6 x weight in kilos ) + ( 1.8 x height in cm ) – ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) – ( 6.8 x age in years )
Once you know your BMR, you can calculate your Daily Calorie Needs based on your activity level using the Harris Benedict Equation.
Harris Benedict Formula To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
- If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
- If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
- If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
- If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
- If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9
- Your result isn’t exact science. If you read my post of muscle mass, then you know that if you have more muscle mass than normal, then you will burn slightly more calories during activity than your peer with less muscle mass.
- Never try to reduce your caloric intake to 1000 calories or less. By doing so, you are telling your body that it’s in famine mode, causing the body to retaliate by sparing fat loss, opting to use lean muscle tissue, bone density, and water for energy and survival. Big no no.
- One pound of fat contains 3500 calories. By cutting 500 calories per day (or burning 500 per day) for 7 days, will equate to a 1 pound weight loss per week. Please don’t think that by trying to burn 1000 calories per day or cutting that much out of your diet will help you lose more. Remember the previous bullet. Also, remember that this is about a lifestyle change, not a quick fix!
- Eating a healthy diet means choosing foods that are low in saturated fat, carbohydrates from whole grain sources, and lean cuts of protein. I recommend seeing a Nutritionist to write a specific diet based on your particular needs/tastes/allergies.
- Cut liquid calories, opting for mostly water. Don’t like water? Try adding lemon slices to give it a zing. Eight glasses a day is optimal.
- Most importantly is the frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise. Aim for an hour of activity most days of the week. You can split it up into 10-20 segments if need be.
That’s it folks. I tried to keep it simple, by not going into sample menus, and exact types of activity…that will be in a later post. Just remember that by making your diet and exercise regimen a lifestyle instead of a temporary fix, long term success will surely follow.
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I agree 100% with your statement that people will fail by going on a diet because they are making only a temporary change to their eating habits.It the first time I have seen anyone actually say this and it makes complete sense.I cringe whenever anyone tells me they are ‘going on a diet’ as it never ends well.If you want to change your body then change your eating habits – permanently.