If you’re like most people, your weight is a problem you just can’t solve.
Obesity is an overwhelming force today, especially here in the US. Everyone from children to the elderly are struggling with their weight.
But despite those facts, I’m here to tell you something you need to hear:
Losing weight isn’t hard.
I know because I’ve done it. I weighed in at 210 pounds and I dropped down to 170 using a very simple process.
Your weight loss goals may be more ambitious than mine were, but the process is still the same.
From what I’ve noticed, most people are more than willing to reach their weight loss goals. It’s a lack of knowledge that really holds them back.
So in this post, I’m going to layout the truth about weight loss and how anyone can make this healthy change.
The Not-So-Magical Law
We’re just getting started and I’m already telling you the most important thing you need to know.
Are you ready for the secret?
Weight loss happens when energy in is less than energy out.
I told you it’s not complicated.
All weight loss comes down to is lowering your input energy compared to your output energy. That’s it.
It amazes me how people leave out that truth when they give diet advice. Some “experts” even discredit it as being too simple. And yeah, there are other factors involved, but for the most part, that’s all you need to know.
Now going back to the energy formula, you need a way to measure that energy. That’s what calories are for.
Calories are a measure of how much energy your body consumes and expends. And if you look on the nutrition label for the food you buy, you’ll see how many calories are in each serving of that food.
If you want to lose weight, all you have to do is consume a lower number of calories than you expend. Then you need the discipline to keep doing that over a long period of time.
I’ll talk about specific numbers later but this is pretty much the gist of everything I’m going to say here. The rest is putting this simple law into practice.
The Four Things You’ll Need
You’ll need to pick up a few things before we go any further.
1. Body Weight Scale
First, you’ll need to get a body weight scale (that’s an affiliate link to my personal one). It doesn’t have to be the nicest or 100% accurate. Just make sure to use the same scale each time you weigh yourself.
2. Myfitnesspal
You’ll also need a calorie counting tool like Myfitnesspal. Myfitnesspal will help you understand how much energy you’re getting from all the food you eat.
You can use their website or download their app. Both are free and have plenty of info on how to use them.
3. Progress Spreadsheet
You’ll want to use a notepad or spreadsheet to keep track of your weight over the long term. Myfitnesspal can do this for you but I think it’s best to track this separately.
4. Discipline
This is the most important of ‘em all. If you don’t discipline yourself, you won’t make or sustain any type of weight loss.
This journey is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to commit to this long-term if you really want a change.
The Math Behind it All
You’re probably not excited about math like I am, but the key to weight loss is a formula. And with all formulas, there’s a little bit of math involved.
Don’t worry, it’s nothing crazy.
If you downloaded Myfitnesspal it will ask some questions and do this part for you. Whatever you get on there will be more accurate, but this trick will show you how to get a rough estimate on your own.
(Note: This section will use pounds as a unit of weight. Make sure to convert to pounds first if you use different units.)
Now let’s say you weigh 200 pounds. To get a quick estimate of the number of calories you’re eating to maintain that weight, multiply your current bodyweight by 15 if you’re a male or by 14 if you’re a female.
I’m a guy so I’ll use 15 in this example.
Maintenance: 200 x 15 = 3000 calories
This is the number of calories you would eat to maintain your current weight.
Once you have your maintenance level, you can determine how much to cut back. There’s a few different ways to do this but cutting 20 percent of your maintenance calories is a good way to start.
Calorie Deficit: 3000 x 20% = 600 calories
In this example, our calorie deficit is 600 calories.
You’ll find your daily calorie goal by subtracting that deficit from your maintenance calories.
Goal: 3000 – 600 = 2400 calories
And that’s it.
All you need to do is eat at that daily goal to consistently lose weight. The actual amount you lose will vary since we’re using a percentage here, but most people can expect to lose about a pound a week doing this.
Once you’ve done that for a few straight weeks, take a break and eat at your maintenance level for a few days. And don’t forget to recalculate these numbers so you can keep losing when you start back.
Time to give a word of warning here too.
If you’ve struggled with your weight for a while, you’re probably eager to slim down. You’ll try to lose much more than a pound a week, and in the process, you won’t eat enough for your body to function.
I made that mistake before and the only thing I wanted to do was sleep all day. That’s why you should never eat below your bodyweight times 10.
So if you weigh 200 pounds:
Necessary Calories: 200 x 10 = 2000 calories
Remember that this is the absolute minimum. If you stick with the Goal I showed you how to calculate earlier, you won’t have to worry about this. But if you eat less than that Goal, your Necessary Calories are the lowest you should ever go.
You’ll be tempted to eat less than that, but have patience. Your body will thank you for it.
The Journey
So now that you know the law to follow, you have all your necessary equipment, and you’ve completed your goal calculations, you can start your journey.
I recommend weighing yourself once a week at the same time, in the same place—preferably in the morning right after you wake up.
Your weight will vary throughout the day due to changes in water weight and some other variables, so there’s no need to check multiple times. The mirror is a better indicator of change anyway.
Also keep in mind that two pounds of fat is the most you can safely lose in a week. The only exception to this is if you’re severely overweight. If you see numbers greater than that, there were probably some water weight changes in there.
Don’t worry about short term changes though. Real weight loss takes time. It took me about six months to lose 40 pounds, but I’d do it all over again if I had to.
Some days you’ll feel extremely hungry even after reaching your calorie goal. This is where that discipline comes into play. Drink all the water you want (0 calories) and focus on other activities that have nothing to do with food.
Doing this will train your body to tell you when it really needs food instead of giving random signals to stuff your face. This all has as much to do with changing your relationship with food as it does with actually losing the weight.
Oh, and by the way, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t said anything about exercise yet. That’s because you don’t have to exercise to lose weight.
I know some people won’t believe that but it’s true.
Exercise improves your respiratory health and muscle function while also aiding your weight loss. But if losing weight is your primary goal, exercise is extremely inefficient.
Look at it this way. Do you think it’s easier to run two miles or to give up that last slice of pizza?
If you run two miles you’ll expend 250 calories. That extra slice of pizza has 250 calories.
So make your pick.
Yeah it’s a no brainer. It’s easier to not eat the pizza.
The same is true about the whole process: It’s easier to control your weight through diet than through exercise.
That’s why I shake my head when I see overweight people running in 90 degree weather. They’re making things too difficult.
Yeah I ran hills and jumped rope while I was losing weight, but that’s because I was a former athlete who liked exercise. I knew it had other health benefits besides just fat loss.
You can get to a low body fat percentage eating Taco Bell if you want to (wouldn’t advise it though). You just gotta know what you’re doing if you want the best results.
The great thing about weight loss is that you only need to watch your calories and stick with it. You don’t have to make time for much else.
So enjoy your journey. Once you start seeing results, you’ll create a loop of motivation that will push you towards your goal.
Lose the Training Wheels
So after a while you’ll get into a weight loss groove and you’ll drop the pounds consistently. By then you may have even reached your goal.
Either way, you’ll have a good idea of how much energy you get from your diet. You’ll also know how to maintain or continue losing.
This is the point where you should stop using your training wheels, aka Myfitnesspal.
You’ll have the knowledge to make your own choices at this point. And no one wants to count calories for the rest of their life.
Just do me a favor and let me know when you make it here. I’d love to be the first to congratulate you. Your actions will be a reflection of your self-discipline and you’ll deserve it.
Like I said before, most people aren’t overweight because of a lack of will. They just need practical information on how to control their bodyweight. If they get that information and refuse to change, then that’s on them.
That’s a Wrap
That is it ladies and gentlemen.
I tried to keep this as simple as possible, but I also wanted to cover all the bases.
I gave you the knowledge. Now all you have to do is bring the discipline to achieve your goal.
If you have further questions, let me know in the comments and I’ll gladly answer them.
And by the way, please share this post around if you can. There’s too much ignorance in the world today, and I’m tired of seeing health problems related to what should be a simple fix.
With the right information, the only person who can stop you is yourself. So choose your goal and commit to that thing all the way.
Trust me, the results are worth it.
-Drew
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