There are plenty of questions that arise when it comes to weight loss, exercise and nutrition. One of the most common questions I hear is: “How many calories do I need to eat to lose weight?” With access to more information than ever, people can feel overwhelmed with conflicting ideas.
Don’t be discouraged. It takes more than just a crash course in popular diet and fitness trends to come up with the correct answer. There are several key factors to consider when developing an effective weight-loss strategy. It’s important to keep in mind that no two people will have the exact same outcome from the same plan.
The best approach is one that is personalized to you; ideally guided by a wellness professional who has taken the time to consider your overall health, target weight and lifestyle. The ideal solution involves making subtle shifts in the way you already live and taking a holistic approach to diet and exercise.
A calorie itself is simple, but finding the right balance of calories, exercise and nutrition is not always as clear. In order to lose weight, you have to balance the amount of exercise required to burn more calories than you consume.
You need to create a 3,500 calorie deficit to lose one pound a week. That can be accomplished by reducing your daily food intake by 250 calories combined with burning 250 calories through daily exercise.
Although exercise is important to the big picture, it’s extremely important to factor in your nutrition as well. If you’re working out and burning calories, but not fueling with good nutrition, your body will react and you will lose muscle mass rather than weight from fat loss. So when you’re working out and burning calories, it’s important to supplement that activity with good nutrition. Otherwise, the impact on your overall health becomes a negative rather than a positive.
One of the first steps in establishing a weight loss plan is calculating your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is defined as: “The amount of energy expended while the body is at rest in a neutrally temperate environment and in the post-absorptive state.“
“Post-absorptive” means that the digestive system is inactive, requiring about twelve hours of fasting prior. In other words, your BMR tells you how many calories your body burns when at rest. Knowing your BMR tells you how many calories your body needs to keep essential processes – like breathing, circulation, etc. – functioning, which will help you determine your baseline caloric intake for healthy weight loss.
There are many calculators online that can help you find your BMR, but a trained professional in a controlled environment can work with you to get the most accurate rate.
The key to sustainable weight loss success is to build a plan that fits you. Start your weight-loss plan by making an appointment with a wellness specialist who can help devise a program that incorporates your background and lifestyle, starting with a conversation about the kinds of foods and activities you do or don’t enjoy. The goal is to make sure that you’re happy as you make the journey toward your ideal weight.
Keep a food and activity diary for at least one week prior to your appointment. This gives the specialist insight into your current lifestyle so you can work together to come up with a healthy weight-loss plan that works for you.
Most weight-loss plans start with goals ranging from 1,200-1,600 calories per day for smaller bodies and 1,600-2,400 calories per day for larger or more active individuals. Other factors include an individual’s exercise intensity and frequency, as well as other physical activities, such as the amount of activity while they’re at work.
There is much more to a healthy weight-loss plan than simply counting calories or spending all of your time working out. It takes a comprehensive, reasoned plan based on your own needs and lifestyle. It doesn’t require drastic change, but small shifts in behavior that add up over time. A weight-loss plan doesn’t have to be complicated, just consistent.
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