Losing Weight By The Numbers

The famous question: how do I lose weight fast? Depending on who asks the question is how I answer it. My answer to a boxer or wrestler would be completely different than to the average person. The problem that many people have is impatience. People want to see immediate results from their workout and do not want to wait. Most often, people try and achieve long term goals in a short amount of time. Sure it is important that people have challenging fitness goals, but it is even more important to set realistic ones as well. Let’s take a look at some numbers that will help in forming a realistic weight loss plan.

The average person burns about 2,000 calories per day without exercise. This number varies depending upon the person’s metabolism, but using the average allows me to accommodate the most people. One pound of body weight is equal to approximately 3,500 calories. Therefore, if an individual changed absolutely nothing about their workout plan, water intake, and daily routine, but cut 500 calories per day out of their diet, then in one week, that individual would lose one pound of body weight.

As you can probably see, the key to losing weight is dependent upon the amount of calories you consume and the amount of calories you burn. For good measure, let’s make up an example of how to lose a healthy amount of weight (1.5 pounds/week). Losing 1.5 pounds per week would require one to burn 5250 calories more than they consume throughout the week. This comes out to burning 750 more calories than you are consuming each day. An easy way to burn some extra calories is by doing some sort of physical activity each day. If you are already doing this, the next step is to check your diet. See what you are putting into your body. Calories can be cut out by replacing fatty foods with more fruits, vegetables, and other healthier choices. Fat carries more calories than protein and carbohydrates (however, don’t cut all fat out of your diet!) While I’m not going to get into the specifics of a weight loss program, I just wanted to clear up the numbers. I recommend keeping track of all your calories you consume in a normal week in a journal. At the end of the week, decide what adjustments you can make to your diet to cut out those additional calories. This will give you a good basis for developing an efficient weight loss plan. Tune in for more articles on weight loss and specific programs designed to achieve goals related to it. For now, start tracking those calories!