Weight Loss For Idiots…BMR

Weight Loss For Idiots…

First off lets be  honest here,there are no miracle/fast diets or pills that will make you lose weight fast. Even if there was, losing weight at an advanced rate usually means gaining it back even faster (yo-yo dieting).  Fortunately there is an extremely effective way to lose weight; yup, you guessed it diet and exercise.

In theory losing weight is actually easier then you would think.  Ultimately, what it  comes down to is calorie intake vs. calorie expenditure or calories in vs calories out.  To lose that suborn fat you must be in a calorie  deficit through eating less or exercising more(burning calories).   Again, “in order to lose extra weight you must be in a calorie deficit below maintenance.”

How Do I Find What My Maintenance Calories Are?

Glad you asked…That number is actually your BMR (basal metabolic rate).  Your BMR is the minimum amount of calories needed by your body on a single day to perform its routine functions.   If you consume  more than this calorie requirement per day you will  be in a calorie surplus ( gain weight), but consuming fewer calories would put you in a calorie deficit (lose weight).   Being in this calorie deficit means your body must find its needed energy somewhere else.   During this time your body breaks down fat from adipose cells (fat cells) and converts them into energy for your body to use (ie:  losing fat).

To find our your BMR go to the bottom right of trufit-source.com’s home page and check out our BMR calculator.

Additional Notes:

3500 calories = 1 pound

• 3500 extra calories = 1 pound gained
• 3500 less calories = 1 pound loss

Example:

Dropping 500 calories below maintenance a day for a week:

7 (days) x 500 (calories) = 3500 calories (1 pound loss)

While that may sound discouraging if you eat 500 calories less a day + exercise and burn 300+ calories a day. You are well on your way to losing 2-3 pounds a week.

*Try not to get pressed on your scale weight. You may see if fluctuate a lot at the beginning and thats normal. Your body will be reacting to the new stimulus (ie: diet/exercise routine) by building muscle, storing extra water and glucose. Just go by how you look, how your clothes feel, and more importantly how you feel.

*Also, you may want to try counting calories for a few days to see where you stand.  While counting calories may not sound fun, there are ways to succeed.   For instance try some free online calorie managers such as (my favorite) fitday.com.  Knowing where you stand calorie wise will help you better understand your goals.