I get asked this all the time, and finding the answer to this
question is one of the first things I do when working with a client who
wants to lose weight. Calories are a big deal; the fact is, if we eat
too many, we gain weight and if we eat too few we lose weight. There are
different ways to control your calorie intake, including calorie
counting or tracking, following a calorie-controlled meal plan, and
eating mindfully by getting in touch with feelings of hunger and
fullness. The most important thing I want my clients to know about
calories is that although to lose weight you need to eat less, going too
low in calories while dieting can have detrimental effects.
You
may have heard of this equation before: There are 3500 calories in one
pound of fat, therefore if we create a 500 calorie deficit each day, we
will lose 1 pound per week, and if we create a 1000 calorie deficit each
day, we will lose 2 pounds per week. I recently watched "Fat Head," a
documentary starring Tom Naughton. I did not care for the movie, mostly
because he was very good at pointing out problems but fell short in
offering solutions. One of the problems he pointed out was that this
equation does not always translate to producing the expected result when
put into practice.
Most people who work in the health and fitness
industry already know this (Mr. Naughton is a comedian and computer
programmer). The reason for the discrepancy is because when your calorie
deficit is too large, your body decreases your metabolic rate, this
closing the gap of deficit. This is a survival response and prevents you
from starving. Although this will happen any time you reduce your
calorie intake for a prolonged period of time, the effect is much more
significant the more severe the calorie deficit.
If you are just
starting a weight loss program and doing it on your own, I advise
limiting your calorie deficit to 500 calories per day. You can further
help protect your metabolism by splitting the deficit between calories
and exercise; eating 250 fewer calories, and burning and extra 250
calories. Then, be patient. We all know time passes so quickly, except
when you are waiting for a pot of water to boil, or weighing yourself
daily waiting for those pounds to fall off. Keep in mind as with
everything, weight loss takes time, and since time will pass anyway, you
may as well set some very achievable habits into place to do
consistently that will help move you toward your goal weight.
Here are some helpful steps to getting started:
1.
Determine how many calories you need per day given your age, gender,
weight, height, activity level, and other factors that affect total
calorie expenditure. A great resource to help you get started is the
Healthy Body Calculator created by my fellow RD Joanne Larsen MS RD
http://dietitian.com/calcbody.php.
Select "maintain weight" in the assessment form, and that way you can
create your calorie deficit manually. Or, call me for an appointment at
480-703-8883 for help determining what your appropriate calorie intake
should be.
2. Decide how you will burn an additional 250 calories
daily. Choose a physical activity you enjoy enough to be able to stick
with. Cut your daily calories by 250 per day; use a calorie tracking
tool, or contact me about getting weekly meal plans for your target
calorie level to take the hassle out of calculating and planning your
menus.
3. Implement your plan and log your progress. You can't
measure something you have no data on, so it is crucial while changing
your habits to lose weight that you log your daily food consumption,
fluid intake, and exercise. Then, each week, decide on 1 or 2 things you
are going to improve upon next week. Perhaps you will add 5 minutes to
your daily walk, or increase the speed of your walking. Or maybe you
will decrease episodes of eating out from 5 to 2 times per week. Make
the goals specific, because a goal like "eat better" is very difficult
to track and measure, and is usually not effective in helping you change
your habits.
Alyssa Chicci RD, CDE, CLT is a Registered Dietitian, Certified
Diabetes Educator, and Certified LEAP Therapist. She helps people lose
weight, achieve optimal health, and feel better. She specializes in
treating clients for weight loss, diabetes, IBS, migraine, and
fibromyalgia.
On her website, Alyssa offers creative nutritious
menus for the busy work week, diet plans, and email nutrition tips. Do
not miss out on these valuable tools! Visit
http://nutritionresolution.com