Losing weight is challenging. It takes a lot of time, a tremendous amount of effort, and most importantly – consistency.
Here are a few quick facts about calories and weight loss.
Macronutrients and their caloric equivalent:
1 gram of Protein = 4 calories
1 gram of Carbohydrates = 4 calories
1 gram of Alcohol = 7 calories
1 gram of Fat = 9 calories
How many calories would you need to burn in order to lose 1 pound?
3500 calories is equivalent to 1 pound.
What would be considered healthy & sustainable weight loss?
Healthy sustainable weight loss is very dependent on the individual and how much weight they need to lose, however for the sake of simplicity we will say anywhere from .5 – 1 pounds per week.
How does weight loss happen?
Weight loss requires you to be in a caloric deficit which means the calories you eat must be less than the calories you burn. Based on the above you would need to be in a deficit of 1750 to 3500 calories per week to lose .5-1lb. (No, you can’t really speed this up by aiming for more and we don’t recommend it) This would average out to around 250-500 calories per day.
What are some tips for weight loss?
The simplest way to lose weight and what we recommend at One Life is to eat a diet high in protein, fruits, vegetables, and some carbs and that will allow for consistency and adherence most of the time. We love the plate method which is half of your plate with fruits and veggies, 1/4 protein and meat, and 1/4 carbs which are your bread, rice, and pasta. Eating like this makes it simple, healthy, and also super realistic at parties and events.
Drink about half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. So if you weigh 150lbs aim for about 75 ounces of water daily.
Limit alcohol and other drinks that are high in sugar and calories like soda and juices.
Move daily. Aim for 10,000 steps per day and get some high-intensity exercise and challenging weightlifting in 3-4x per week to build lean muscle. If weight loss is your goal, adding in a few 20-30 minute walks each week will go a long way.
Lastly, sleep as much as you can without getting fired or divorced.
Remember, if you’re goal is to lose weight, be kind to yourself, manage and set realistic expectations, give yourself time to improve and make adjustments, and just keep doing the work.
If you do these things I promise it won’t feel as hard and there will be less frustration and stress.
