The Waiting Game – Losing 20 Pounds or More

With the beginning of a new year, many of us take the courageous leap back on the weigh scale to face the reality of … our actual weight. If the number staring back at us is much higher than we had hoped, it may lead us to a frenzy of thoughts surrounding losing 20 pounds or more in the next 12 months. Although the number may seem daunting at first thought, small changes in diet and exercise (every single day) can lead to very REAL success!

Time is the Enemy – Weight Management

As much as it may feel as though weight gain appears out of nowhere, it does NOT happen overnight. For the most part, we are in denial and we:

• Avoid stepping on the scale
• Tell ourselves our clothes are smaller from being in the dryer too long
• Convince ourselves we are eating very healthy at every meal (even though we have a bagel with cream cheese on the way to work and a grande Starbucks Mochaccino after lunch and meet friends for a beer or two at least once a week)
• Believe that getting at least one workout a week is enough to make a change

Each day those extra calories we consume, in addition to the missed workouts (or lack of them), add up to tighter pants and a higher number on that dreaded scale. We need to be realistic and realize that it’s not the exorbitant meals and parties that pack on the pounds. The extra calories we consume each day (100 or more) add up over time to produce the extra padding around the middle. If it takes 12 months to create that extra weight, we have to also consider giving ourselves just as much time (if not more) to take it off safely and for the long term!

It’s easy for us to take time for granted, especially when we are not on a deadline. Unfortunately, when it comes to our goal to lose weight, we become very conscious of time. We want to:

• Lose the weight immediately
• Fit into our “skinny clothes” right now
• Start feeling confident in our own skin
• Stop feeling guilty for every calorie we eat or workout we miss
• Be happier and healthier right away

Sadly, we don’t have a magic wand to make this happen at the blink of an eye. We need to accept that it will take time to see the results of the hard work (especially if we are looking to maintain the weight loss for life).

The Reality of Weight Loss

When it comes to losing weight (primarily excess fat), you need to create a calorie deficit to tip the scale in your favor. But we often are swayed by “perception” versus “reality”. For example, we want to believe:

• We burn a lot of calories every time we exercise
  • Walking the dog = 3.0 METs (a 150 lb. person burns 200 calories/hour; equivalent to a grande Starbucks latte with 2% milk)
  • Resistance training (8-15 repetitions) = 3.5 METs (a 150 lb. person burns 238 calories/hour; equivalent to a 6 inch Subway Veggie Delight sandwich)
  • Ashtanga yoga = 4.0 METs (a 150 lb. person burns 272 calories/hour; equivalent to a Dunkin Donuts Apple ‘n Spice doughnut)
• We always make healthy (and low calorie) food choices
  • 1 x 68 gram Clif Oatmeal Raisin bar = 240 calories
  • 2 x 4″ whole wheat pita and 1/2 cup humous = 400 calories
  • Panera Fuji Apple Chicken Salad = 550 calories
• Every time we exercise and sweat … we are burning calories from stored fat
  • Our bodies use three types of fuel sources (in the following order):
    1. Carbohydrates
    2. Fats
    3. Proteins
  • Fat is used as a fuel source once all carbohydrate stores in their body have been depleted (and it will take a long time to get to your fat stores if you consume a diet made up of primarily carbohydrates during the day)

If you are looking to lose weight successfully and remain “sane” during the process, it’s important to be realistic with your expectations and create a long term plan that will keep you on track to your goal.

Consistency is Key for Weight Loss

Consistency in both your nutrition and exercise is essential for weight loss success.

• Step #1 – Determine how many calories your body needs to maintain its current weight. You can do this by using the Harris-Benedict equation. To access the calculation for men, click here. To access the calculation for women, click here.
• Step #2 – Determine how much weight (primarily fat) you would like to lose.
• Step #3 – Determine the speed at which you would realistically like to reach your goal weight by referencing the chart below.
• Step #4 – Create a program the reflects the recommendations in the chart above.

By decreasing the amount of calories you consume (as it relates to your daily caloric needs) and slightly increasing the number of calories you burn each day, you can reach your target goals in the following timeline:

Based on the charts above, if you create a caloric deficit of at least two hundred calories per day (which is the equivalent of eating one less slice of white break and walking one extra mile) you can lose between 21 and 82 pounds in one year! The math is straightforward but it takes a commitment to the long term goal and consistency in reducing the calories you take in and increasing the calories you burn each day.

Of course, you want to ensure that your goal and timeline do not put your body in harms way. As a rule of thumb you want to establish a calorie deficit that is no more than 25 percent of the calories required to maintain your weight. If you have more weight to lose, you can create a larger deficit than someone who is only a few pounds from their goal weight.

Regardless, the amount and speed at which you get results is entirely up to you! Choose wisely.

Written by TodaysFitnessTrainer (trainer@todaysfitnesstrainer.com).