The Numbers that Drop the LBs.

Well? Have you done last week's assignment and found out how many calories you should be consuming each day? If you are looking to maintain your current weight, stick to that number and tweak it as needed (remember, because a calculation was used, this number is not 100% accurate). You can even add in a little more exercise (you should already be doing at least 30 minutes most days of the week) to give yourself a little more flexibility (ie: room for dessert) in your diet.

It truly does come down to the following scale:

If you want to lose weight, you will have to negate some calories by eating less and/or working out more. Let's break down some numbers:
- There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat.
- Your goal should be to lose no more than 1-2 lbs a week (any more and you risk losing water and/or muscle weight instead, and it will most likely be more difficult to keep off).
- A healthy weight loss goal is to start with no more than 10% of your body weight (in the number of weeks it would take at 1-2 lbs a week).

So back to that pound of fat being 3,500 calories. That means to lose one pound a week, you would need a daily deficit of 500 calories (500 x 7 days a week = 3,500 calories). Likewise, to lose two pounds a week, that would be a 1,000 deficit each day (let's be honest, that's pretty challenging).

Remember that this deficit can (and should) come from a combination of taking some calories out of your diet and adding in more exercise. The good news is this can be flexible day by day (and this is how weight management becomes realistic to your lifestyle - no more yo-yo dieting!). Some days you just won't get an opportunity for a good calorie burning workout... on those days you'll have to eat less. On days you know you want to eat dessert or go out for drinks (more on the ridiculous number of empty calories in alcohol later), you'll need to plan extra workout time.

Please note: unless you are on a medically supervised weight loss plan, women should not go below 1200 calories a day, and men should not go lower than 1500 calories a day. As much as you might think "the lower I go the more weight I'll lose," the truth is your body has a limit where your thyroid and metabolism will significantly slow down when you starve yourself. Even with intense exercise, if your body is not getting an appropriate number of calories you will not lose weight (but will risk your health). Also remember that if you are breastfeeding or pregnant, you will need to a lot more calories for your body's and your baby's needs.

Up next: Carbs, Fat and Protein - The Good, the Bad, and the Misinformed. What percentages of each nutrient you should be consuming each day, the benefits of each nutrient and suggestions for healthy sources.

Have a HEALTHY day!
~ FitBritt