Losing Weight Begins With You
Despite the way it feels, losing weight isn’t a mysterious process waiting to be uncovered in some underground laboratory. It’s a simple matter of burning more calories than you eat. If it were really that simple, though, none of us would have weight problem now, would we? Weight loss can be such a problem that we start thinking we have to do something drastic to see results. We end up going on those fad diets, popping weight loss pills, or wearing those weird fitness gadgets that promise instant success. The true secret to weight loss success is that you have to start by making a small change in your lifestyle. Do this every day and you will slowly lose those extra unwanted pounds. The key is to forget about instant results and settle into a long term weight loss plan.
A hard simple rule to follow
To lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500 calories besides what you already burn doing your daily activities. That sounds like a lot of calories and you certainly wouldn’t want to burn 3500 calories in one day. However, by taking it step by step, you can determine just what you need to do each day to burn those unwanted calories.
Mary
Let’s use Mary as an example. Her BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is 1400 calories and she burns 900 calories in daily activity with regular exercise, walking around, and doing household chores. To maintain her ideal weight, Mary should be only eating 2300 calories. After keeping a food journal, she finds that she has been eating 2550 calories. By eating 250 more calories than her body needs, Mary gained one pound every two weeks. This shows how easy it is to gain weight without even knowing it. However, it’s also easy to lose weight, even if the process itself can be slow. You can start your weight loss by making small changes in your diet and activity levels by burning more and eating less.
Make that change
It all starts with you. Make a simple lifestyle change. For example, if you get thirsty in the afternoon for a soda, drink a glass of water instead and save 97 calories. If you are grabbing a quick breakfast before heading to the office in the morning, skip the Egg McMuffin and have a small whole wheat bagel with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter instead. That’s 185 calories saved. Remember, the key to losing weight begins with you.
