Weight loss guide

[dja4260]

I thought I would write up a quick thread on weight loss as it was a topic here recently.

So you’ve decided that you want to lose some weight, feel better, sleep better, and have more energy…..Great!

Step #1 Find your BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate.

See link -> http://exercise.about.com/library/blbmrcalculator.htm

Your BMR is the calories that your body burns daily. What your body needs to maintain normal functions and weight.

Step #2 Track your daily intake

See link -> http://www.fitday.com/

Your diet is 90% of the total picture and is what determines weight loss. After tracking your diet for a week you should have an idea of how many total calories your putting in your body.

Monday
BMR- 2000 calories
Actual intake- 2300 calories___________+300 calories

Tuesday
BMR- 2000 calories
Actual intake 2600 calories____________+600 calories

Wednesday
BMR- 2000 calories
Actual intake 2400 calories____________+400 calories

If I were to continue and gather data for the week, I’d be 2400+ calories over my BMR. These excess calories are your weight gain.

+3500 calories = 1 lb of weight gain OR -3500 calories = 1lb of weight loss

How cleanly you eat also factors in but for the sake of keeping it simple, I’ll avoid that topic at this point.

Step #3 Getting your diet in check

Now that you know what you’re putting in your body you can make minimal changes to dictate that total calorie intake.

Below are some tips that may help you cut back….
-Portion size, use a smaller plate.
-Eat slow, actually enjoy your food. It takes your stomach 5 minutes to tell brain that you’re full. Inhaling food skips that feature of your body.
-Before you planned meals, drink 2 glasses of water
-Drink water, lots of it. Always!
-Avoid high in fat, sodium foods. But realistically I love [censored] food, so do the above steps.

Step #4 Exercise

Along with a decently balanced diet, exercise will really kick start weight loss.

If you have not been active for years just jumping into an exercise program can be a terrible idea. Here are some simple things that you can do.

-Go for an evening walk with spouse, dog, kids
-Park car far from store, work, etc.
-Yard work, cut your own lawn, save money and burn calories
-Ride bicycle

A gym membership isn’t needed to lose weight. As I stated above, your diet is 90% of the weight loss puzzle. You cannot spot reduce fat lose. Doing sit-ups isn’t going to lose belly fat. I hate sit-ups, do planks instead. Actually belly fat in men will be the last area to dissipate when losing weight. Losing more than 2 lbs a week is unhealthy. Don’t weigh yourself on a daily basis. Pick one day a week right when you wake up. Remember that this is a process and nothing works overnight.

If you are physically active then this doesn’t really apply to you, however I have lots of other training philosophies that may help your weight loss.

If you have any questions please let me know. I wrote this up quickly at work during a free period. I’ll most likely add more over time as things pop in my head.

 

[Barkleymut]

As someone who has never ever struggled with weight I now find myself packing on a few pounds after vacation/holidays. Many of the folks in my family are very obese and the one thing in common that they all have is that they try to diet all the time. I have never had the gumption to tell them that all they need to do is get outside and move. Talk to any DR. they will tell you that exercise and eating sensible portions is the healthiest easiest way to lose weight. AND IT WORKS! Be disciplined, go sweat, move until it hurts a little. Then wake up and do it again. The only guaranteed method is to burn more than you consume.

 

[dja4260]

Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
As someone who has never ever struggled with weight I now find myself packing on a few pounds after vacation/holidays. Many of the folks in my family are very obese and the one thing in common that they all have is that they try to diet all the time. I have never had the gumption to tell them that all they need to do is get outside and move. Talk to any DR. they will tell you that exercise and eating sensible portions is the healthiest easiest way to lose weight. AND IT WORKS! Be disciplined, go sweat, move until it hurts a little. Then wake up and do it again. The only guaranteed method is to burn more than you consume.


Moderation goes a long way.

 

[stranger706]

dja4260 that is an excellent post.

I had a really hard time with the diets that I've tried. Diets do not work. The weight will come right back. This has to be a change in mindset; you have to make a decision to start a healthier lifestyle. Once I figured that out, it was so easy and much more enjoyable than any diet.

Vote for a sticky!

 

[Cujet]

I'm an ex bicycle racer, I often rode long distance, and, when young, rode motocross/enduro motorcycles. Certainly when training and racing, it was difficult to eat enough food to maintain weight.

However, I'm 48 and I can ride 27 miles or more, every other day, and I pack on the pounds. I can't ride enough to take the weight off. Trust me, I've tried. I really can't train any harder at my age.

But, I can diet. I skip dinner and I lose weight. I can do all the math, I can talk about types of "diets" and so on. Or, I can simply cram down a very large healthy salad with a hunk of meat (generally fish) for lunch and that's it. Works perfectly, every time. And the best part, I'm only hungry for about 2 hours at night. I sleep it off! Minimal suffering, plenty of weight loss.

I've lost 50 pounds without difficulty. Yes, over time, I put a little back on. But, I am below 200 and I'm not too far from my ideal of 185. I'll certainly get there, and I'll make an effort to stay there.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

As someone who comes from a family that has a propensity toward obesity I decided early on I would not let that be my fate. At 67 I maintain a healthy weight, I jog, bike, walk and lift weights, and have none of the health problems that affect most fat people. I take no prescription medications, I don't need junk supplements, and I always feel great.

Everyone who is fat knows what it takes to lose weight. They know they don't get enough exercise. They know that stuffing their faces with fast food, jumbo portions, snacks and high calorie items is what packs on their tubby pounds. The problem is that healthy eating and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifestyle choice, not a diet. As a lifestyle choice it requires saying no to a lot of pressure-families at the holidays, most restaurant food, snacks, etc. It requires getting off their flabby backside when their favorite show is on the idiot box and exercising instead.

Sadly, most are simply too lazy to do what it takes to lose weight and live a healthy life. It's not rocket science, most of it boils down to just having the willpower to do it.

 

[Papa Bear]

And if you find you don't have the "willpower" for it there is OA.(Overeaters Anonymous)

For some of us, overeating is no different than overdrinking, oversmoking, overworking, overgambling etc... a symptom of another problem. If you know what you should be doing and can't do it, you know what I mean.

I needed a 12 Step program to help me with my drinking and smoking (I need it for lots of other things too

)

 

[Mr_Incredible]

More protien, fewer processed carbs and more vegetables, and bust a** on the weights and treadmill. Repeat forever.

 

[andrewg]

Geez. Want to lose pounds? Here's a simple concept......you WILL NOT gain any weight if you don't eat, correct? And on the opposite side of this.....if you eat a lot of food the surplus calories (energy) is store as FAT and you GAIN weight, correct? Ok....now that you grasp that complicated conundrum of mathematical equations, it should not involve too much thought about how to lose weight. Look people....if you don't have the will or drive to stop shoving excess food in your mouth, then stop wasting time and enjoy being fat. I'm serious. Nothing wrong with being large if you are happy.....but there is something wrong (and highly irritating) when you complain and act confused as to why you can't lose weight. It's so simple yet millions gloss over it because it involves strength and will power. One more time now......YOU WILL NOT GET FAT NOR WILL YOU GAIN WEIGHT IF YOU DON'T SHOVE EXCESS FOOD PAST YOUR LIPS.
Is that really hard for intelligent people to grasp? If you have ZERO ability to control yourself, then you will ALWAYS fail. Accept it or simply STOP over eating.

 

[JHZR2]

There are people who eat salad and next to no calories who are still fat.

There is a correct metabolic balance that has to be considered, so it isnt as easy as eat less than you burn, necessarily.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
There are people who eat salad and next to no calories who are still fat.

There is a correct metabolic balance that has to be considered, so it isnt as easy as eat less than you burn, necessarily.

In my completely non-professional opinion, I feel the metabolic rate issue is an excuse for most people. I can't even begin to tell you of how many people I've known that use that excuse after I've witnessed what they eat. I can promise you that I've NEVER met a single individual that could not lose serious poundage by simply having will power and cutting back on what you eat. If metabolic rate was as significant as many attest, don't you think then that you would see fat people in those old concentration camp photos? Never happen. It's simple regardless of minor differences in caloric usage.....the human body WILL NOT and CAN NOT sustain obesity when deprived of excessive food intake. While a certain percentage of body fat will be maintained during a 'starvation diet' because of a sudden stoppage of caloric intake....in the long term (or even in the case of a 50% reduction) the body will have no choice but to reduce any and all body mass.
My basic point is thus......whatever you put in your pie-hole is your own responsibility and in my opinion....VERY rarely a serious metabolic issue. It's more an issue of courage, guts, strength, will, determination, and a certain level of discomfort (for a time). I find many people just aren't able to do what it takes to lose and maintain ideal weight.

 

[FXjohn]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
There are people who eat salad and next to no calories who are still fat.

There is a correct metabolic balance that has to be considered, so it isnt as easy as eat less than you burn, necessarily.


nonsense. you just don't see everything else they eat. and yes it is that easy.

 

[callbay]

Change the way you eat for the rest of your life. If you say I am going to "diet" till I get down to so many pounds it will not work because if you make it to your goal weight you will start to eat more again and soon you will be right back where you starterd. Trust me. I have done it at least seven times.

Change the way you eat (and excersise) forever!