What is the best way to lose weight?
There are many diet programs and weight loss tips geared at helping you lose weight fast, most will prove to be unsuccessful. If you are wondering how to lose weight and keep it off for good, you need to understand the basics of how our bodies use calories.
Instead of providing you with a specific diet or exercise plan, we’re going to arm you with the information you need to make your own personalized weight loss program. Every diet and weight loss plan comes down to the same basic element … you need to burn more calories than you consume.
Every pound of body weight represents 3,500 calories. If you want to lose weight, you will need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories in order to lose one pound. How you create this deficit will depend on a number of factors, but it still comes down to the science of calories in vs. calories out.
If you consume 500 fewer calories than your body needs in a day, you will create a 500 calorie deficit. Do this for one week and you’ve created a deficit of 3,500 calories (500 X 7), this deficit represents a weight loss of one pound. The converse is also true, if you consume 500 calories per day more than your body needs, and you do this for 7 days, you will gain one pound in the course of a week. And this is exactly how the excess weight accumulated!
Now, back to how we can finally lose weight and keep it off. Since the first thing we need to do is create a calorie deficit, we’ll need to evaluate our diet and what we’re eating. That’s where a healthy low-calorie diet becomes essential. Maximizing the nutritional value of food, while minimizing wasted calories will allow you to eat enough to keep you satisfied without gaining weight. A donut can have 280 calories, but for that same 280 calories you might choose a cup of low-fat yogurt, a piece of fruit and a small handful of almonds, which snack do you think is going to provide the most nutrition? Which do you think is going to give you a sense of fullness or satiety? It’s all about making smart choices.
Another way to create the caloric deficit needed to lose weight is by incorporating extra activity or exercise into our daily routine. Everything we do, from breathing to making our bed, or running a marathon requires energy, or calories. So, by simply increasing the amount of energy our body needs to function, we can create a higher deficit which translates into increased weight loss.
Small, easy changes can reap big rewards over time. Try to start small and find little ways to increase the amount of activity in your day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, get up and do a few push ups or run in place during a commercial break, it doesn’t matter what you do … just do something. Remember, when you’ve added enough activity to burn 3,500 calories … you will have lost another pound. Take it slow and work your way down, one pound at a time!
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