So often I see the Question – I cannot lose weight….help!!!
I always follow up with – “Tell me about your current eating habits”?
Notice how I use the term “eating habits”. I personally hate the term diet. Many people see this as a negative word that means I cannot have deserts, pizza etc.
Answers generally are the following
1. Oatmeal, egg whites, chicken breasts, salads, steamed vegetables rice…etc…..you get the gist. But what they neglect to realize is how much of each. You can eat the healthiest foods in the world but if you are eating too much, you will never get to where you want to be. Start measuring/weighing your feed. It’s not hard and food scales are quite inexpensive starting at around $10 on sites like Amazon.
2. I use a food tracker or calorie counter app and I am eating 1000 cals a day. Unfortunately, when calories are too low this also has a negative impact. Your body goes into starvation mode thus storing food, not sure when the next meal will be coming.
Unfortunately losing weight is somewhat of a science BUT it does not have to be difficult.
In order to lose 1 pound of bodyweight, not muscle, not fat, BODYWEIGHT you need to burn/expend/utilize 3500 calories more than you eat.
Breakdown:
Eating 500 calories less per day X 7 days in a week = -3500 calories = 1 pound lost
Eating 1000 calories less per day x 7 = -7000 calories = 2 pounds lost.
I personally do not recommend losing any more than 2 pounds per week unless you are morbidly obese and or instructed by a Dr.
Google search “How many calories I should eat and weight loss”. Pick a number and after 2 weeks if you are not seeing any results, try taking in 100 calories less per day or 700 calories per week.
Suggestion – Do not get fixated on a scale. There are so many intangibles when using a scale whether it is the time of day, placement of the scale, clothes etc. If you have to use a scale, use it every 2-4 weeks, same time of the day, same clothes or lack of.
Better Suggestion Pick out a snug pair of pants/shirt, belt etc…..how great does it feel when you no longer need to lie flat on the bed to zip up your pants??!
Good luck and if I can answer any questions or lend assistance feel free to email me at shawn@supptalk.com Continued success.
About the writer - Shawn has a Degree in Nutrition and Exercise Science from Florida State University (FSU) and has been entrenched in the health and supplement industry for over 20 yrs. He is a former competitive bodybuilder and host of SuppTalk radio and more recently, a Brand Ambassador for Muscle- Elements.
