It’s one of the most common goals in fitness, yet, it’s the one that gives people the hardest time.
If you google “how to lose weight” there will be talks of fasting, eating fruits/veggies, juice cleanses but most importantly every related search involves losing weight as fast as possible.
Weight loss is not a rapid process, especially if you want It to last a lifetime. It’s more beneficial to you to lose weight and keep It off than to hit your weight loss goal in 30 days and gain It back by next year.
Here are a few things to put your focus towards when trying to lose weight.
1.) Calorie Deficit
In the simplest terms, you need to be in a calorie deficit if you want to lose weight. This is the most important if you are looking to have the number on the scale go down.
Getting yourself in a calorie deficit is very easily explained –> Burn more calories than you consume OR consume less calories than you burn.
Now, actually doing It consistently is a different story.
The way we found to work well is to start tracking your food. Get an idea what you are eating on a day to day basis – whether that be on an app or just in your notes on your phone. But start to get a grasp on your daily consumption.
2.) The Scale
The hardest part is breaking from the idea that the number you read is your identity, It’s not. This is hard but try to break this mold, don’t let that number scare you, use It as information!
Weigh yourself every single morning and track that number. Don’t overthink It, just track It. Put It in a spreadsheet and take a look at It periodically.
We are looking for trends, not day to day fluctuations. The goal with the daily weigh ins is not only to gather more information but to help lessen the importance of that number you read every day.
Some days It will be up, some days It will be down, as long as It is trending downward over the longer periods of time, you are doing things right!
3.) Food
Before you change anything at all with your diet, track your food. This is for you, so be honest and track everything (even the “bad” stuff). Use this tracking to learn more about the foods you eat, portions, calories, and macronutrients.
When it’s time to start making changes, start with protein. If you have a lot of weight you’d like to lose (50-100lbs) then take your body weight times .5 and that is how many grams of protein you will eat.
If you have less weight to lose (10-40lbs), take your bodyweight times .7 and that is how many grams of protein you will eat. This number will be more than you’re eating now. Plan your protein sources and hit that number.
Obviously the food you eat makes up a great deal of how your weight loss journey will go, but there is no need to overcomplicate things.
You know what will help get you closer to your goal, what foods are more beneficial than others. So start by making the best choices you possibly can for as long as you can. Track your progress, learn what is working, and make changes based on those things.
Remember, you are tracking food, weighing in, looking at your protein – there is so much information here that you can paint an entire picture of where your progress will be going.
4.) Move
Getting into a calorie deficit is not just about food. You can also exert energy by moving. This means working out, walking, staying active, and getting off your butt.
If you are doing absolutely nothing right now, make a commitment to yourself to walk 5 minutes every single day. If you have an active day to day life, work on steps first. Getting 7,500 to 10,000 steps per day. Once that becomes a habit, try getting into a workout routine 2-3 days per week.
Movement + Exercise will be the recipe for success, especially when It’s paired with the right amount of calories and protein.
Not only will these things help move the calorie deficit in the right direction they will also help with your “body composition” — maintaining or even building muscle while losing primarily fat along the way. This is the ultimate goal – losing fat not just weight!
Everything is a process, don’t expect to see massive amounts of change in your first week. This is a time to learn, and the more you learn, the easier things will become down the road.
In good health,
Jeff
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Email Jeff@naglefitness.com
