If your love handles aren't quite so lovable anymore and you've decided it's time to take off some weight, you've come to the right place. Losing weight doesn't have to be difficult - actually, it is guaranteed!
We all know that diet and exercise will help us to lose weight...it's the motivation part that tends to create problems. By creating a chart of your weight loss successes, it's easier to keep on track and keep motivated. Enter, the dreaded math.
As you lose weight, if you create a graph of your percentage of weight loss it will go a long way toward keeping you motivated. You start off at 100% of your total weight and as you lose you start to see the line going up, and up, and up - and it gets pretty exciting.
Here's how to calculate your weight loss percentage. First start off with your initial weight - how much did you weigh when you first started your diet program? Then, subtract the actual amount that you weigh right now. So for example if you weighed 200 pounds at the beginning of your diet program and you're now at 190 pounds... 200 -190 equals 10 pounds. Now, divide the 10 pounds by the initial weight. So, that means 200 divided into 10 equals 0.05. And finally we multiply our answer, 0.05 times 100 and that equals 5. So up to this point we have lost 5% of our total body weight.
If that seems confusing to you, re read the paragraph and follow along with the calculator it really is pretty simple.
Select a certain day of the week and a certain time of day and weigh yourself at that time every week. Then, calculate the total weight loss and add it to your chart. As you see the line going up it will go a long way toward keeping you motivated.
Note: our bodies fluctuate up and down in weight fairly radically throughout the day - so try to choose the same time of day for each weighing session. Also, our weight fluctuates on a day by day basis so don't do this everyday. It can be discouraging. Save it for a once a week thrill.
Clearly to lose weight you want to eat fewer calories than your body burns, but you don't want to go overboard. That can be very unhealthy and mess up your metabolism big time. Create a diet where you will lose approximately 2-5 pounds per week.
To determine how much you can eat, to gain or lose a pound involves 3500 calories. In other words if you eat 3500 calories more than you burn off you will gain 1 pound. By the same token if your body burns 3500 calories more than you take in you will lose 1 pound. So, if you want to lose 1 pound in 10 days that simply means that you have to burn off an extra 350 calories per day.
To lose 2 pounds a week you need to burn off 1000 calories per day more than you take in. To lose 5 pounds a week you need to burn off 2500 calories per day more than you eat. There are no ifs, ands, or maybes about it. It's a scientific process that will always work, for everyone.
Caution... your body needs a certain number of calories just to survive. To maintain good health - for men, you should never let your diet drop below 1600 calories per day. For women, you should maintain at least 1200 calories per day. These are not hard and fast numbers and can very depending on your size and your level of activity.
Start a graph today, and in no time you'll look forward to doing it every week. It's very motivating (more so than you may think). Award yourself a little gold star every time you reach your goals for the week.
