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What’s Involved In Losing Weight?
We need to point out that you want to lose the right weight – fat. You don’t want to lose muscle. And there’s also a healthy way to lose fat and many ways to lose it temporarily only to be sure to see it come back just as soon as you lost it.
The more you have to lose, the more likely you lose more and more easily in the beginning as compared to someone who has relatively little to lose. Someone who is 100 pounds overweight will typically lose weight faster than someone who has a mere 10 pounds to lose. Don’t be surprised or disheartened that your scale will not show the same velocity of results the faster you get to your goal.
Most experts agree that you shouldn’t lose weight too quickly. Someone who needs to lose a relatively small amount of weight may be the exception, but for those who need to lose 20 pounds and more should take the sure and steady approach. You should target between one and three pounds of fat loss per week. Two pounds a week is safe and isn’t too difficult.
One of the simplest ways to explain what’s involved in losing weight is to say,
In order to burn ONE pound of FAT, you need to BURN 3500 ADDITIONAL CALORIES per week.
Let’s say, for example, you require 2500 calories per day to maintain your current weight. In order to lose one pound per week you’d need to consume 500 fewer calories per day OR burn 500 additional calories via exercise OR a combination of both. (Seven days per week times 500 calories = 3500 calories.) So you can either eat the same amount per day and exercise enough REGULARLY throughout the week to burn 3500 calories, or eat an average of 500 calories per day less than you have been. For more on how many calories you need to lose weight, check out this calorie calculator.
NOTE: It doesn’t work to starve yourself in a day or two during the week, or to get all your exercise done in one or two workout sessions. There’s something called Homeostasis to consider, and your body doesn’t like drastic, sudden change from crash diets. And your body can’t handle ultra-endurance training at this stage without limbs falling off!
Here are KEY COMPONENTS to losing weight:
- Mindset – having the determination and know how to achieve your weight loss goal.
- Motivation – having something burning in you to want to change. (Fear of dying too soon, class reunion coming up, being able to play with grandkids or kids, wanting to have energy, etc.)
- Nutrition – properly fueling your body with what it needs and staying away from what it doesn’t need.
- Exercise – creating a fat burning furnace with proper resistance training and cardio exercise.
- Support/Accountability – finding those who will help you stay on the road to your goal.
Numbers 3 and 4 are no-brainers. Everyone knows these two components. But not everyone realizes you need a proper Mindset, Motivation, and Support & Accountability for lasting change. I’ll be honest… Some people will tell you that you need all of the above. I’m here to say you don’t. You DO NEED most of them, but I for one didn’t need support or accountability to lose weight because of my personality type. They key is to be honest. AND, you do need 3 & 4 no matter what!
By: David Simpson
