So many times people over complicate weight loss. It is pretty simple. Burn more calories than you consume with out going under your Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) but staying 500 calories below your Total Metabolism. So I know I just threw a monkey wrench in your chain with the BMR and Total Metabolism thing, right? Let me explain.
Your BMR is the amount of calories you need for your body to function correctly. If you go below it you cause your body to go into survival mode storing fat rather than burning it, burning muscle rather than building it, and ultimately lowering your bodies ability to burn calories. Now, you might have some success losing weight this way at first, but eventually you will hit a wall and the damage you have done to your metabolism will be hard to correct.
Your total metabolism is your BMR plus the calories you burn exercising and preforming normal activities. That number is usually somewhere between 1000 and 1500 calories depending on how active you are, how hard and long you exercise. The best way to know your total metabolism is to were a heart rate monitor or a Body Bug.
Ok, here is how I recommend someone lose weight. First learn your BMR. If you need to know it click here and I will calculate it for you. From that, estimate your Total Metabolism according to your activity level and stay 500 calories below your total metabolism.
Let me give you an example….. My BMR is 1739 calories. Because I exercise pretty hard 5 to 6 days a week, my total metabolism is somewhere around 3000 calories. In order to lose 1 pound a week I need to eat around 2500 calories a day. See how that works? Now, lets take it one step further!
It would not be smart to attempt to eat all 2500 calories in one meal. You should spread your calories throughout the entire day, eating every 3 hours. Eat more when you are going to be active and less when you are sedentary. At the onset of the day you will eat more carbs with some protein, by noon you will eat a balanced meal with calories coming from equal amounts of carbs and proteins, then by the afternoon limit your carbs and consume most of your calories from protein. Here is an example of this…
As soon as I get up in the morning I hit the ground running! Therefore, I eat breakfast with the majority of my calories coming from carbohydrates and some protein. Because I am still active three hours later, I eat a snack (not a meal) with the majority of my calories coming from carbs and some protein. Now, three hours later, it is time for lunch and that is a great time to have a balanced meal of both carbs and protein. Here comes the switch…My day is beginning to wind down in the afternoon (three hours later) so I do not need to consume as many carbs, therefore the majority of my calories are coming from protein and just a few from carbs. The last meal of the day (three hours later) is dinner and this meal will consist of protein and vegetables (these are my carbs). If I need a snack before bedtime it is simply a small amount of protein and no carbs.
And that’s how Weight Loss is done!!!! It takes Patience, Dedication, Consistency, Preparation, and Moderation to live this way. But that’s another topic for another day!