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The Basics of Weight Loss:
Top Five Tips for Starting your Weight Loss Program

The key to weight loss is lifestyle change.

Know your weight
Know approximately how many calories you’re eating to stay AT that weight
Decrease those calories by about 500/day
Weigh yourself each week and record your weight loss
Add more physical activity on a daily basis
Put foods on your grocery shopping list that support your new healthy lifestyle
Learn cooking techniques to support a decrease in total daily calories
Stick to recipes and prepared foods that are low in calories, high in nutrients, easy and fun to eat

The American Dietetic Association recommends that no more than 1-2 pounds of weight be lost weekly. This recommendation is based on the fact that in order to lose weight in the first place you have to decrease your calorie intake. If you cut calorie intake by too much, you’ll chronically feel hungry and deprived and the length of time you’ll be able to stick on your new lifestyle challenge will be short. Always consult with a physician before starting any new weight loss or exercise program.

1.	Know your weight. Get weighed on a scale that is reliable. Wear light weight clothing and no shoes when you weigh yourself or better yet, have someone else weigh you. Try to weigh-in once a week wearing similar clothing each time.

2.	Calculate how many calories you are eating to maintain your current weight (see below for table). Take your current weight and multiply it by one of the numbers below that best represents your personal physical activity: Calories/pound 12 = sedentary 13 = small amount of daily movement (no real exercise) 14 = office work, some walking, no purposeful exercise 15 = purposeful exercise three days a week (about 30 minutes each time) 16 = purposeful exercise five days a week (about 45 minutes each time) 17 = purposeful exercise seven days a week (about 45 minutes each time) 18 = purposeful exercise seven days a week (about 60 minutes or more each time) 19 = competitive athlete or recreational exerciser who competes in events Example: I weigh 165 pounds and exercise three days per week (about 30 minutes a day of walking). According to my weight and level of activity (165 x 15 calories per pound), I can consume 2,475 calories per day to stay at my current weight.

3.	Losing weight requires a decrease in total daily calories. Decreasing the number of calories you are currently eating is the best way to begin losing weight. One pound of weight equals 3,500 total calories. Therefore, decreasing daily caloric intake by 500 per day (500 calories x 7 days per week) = 3,500 calories or one pound per week. So in the case above, if total daily caloric intake to maintain my weight is 2,475, then decrease total intake by 500 calories per day (2,475 – 500) to 1,975 calories allowed per day, to lose one pound of weight each week.

4.	Weigh yourself each week and record your weight loss. If a week goes by and no weight change occurs, no big deal. Keep recording your weekly weight.

5.	Add more physical activity on a daily basis. Most people should boost their physical activity each day. The current recommendation is to aim for 30-60 minutes of physical activity per day. In the example in #4, if more activity was added, more calories would be burned and more weight could possibly be lost each week. We burn approximately 100 calories for every 10-12 minutes of physical activity. In other words, if you walked for 20 minutes you would burn approximately 200 calories – or 600 calories per hour. And, if I simply added 15 more minutes to my daily walk of 45 minutes, I could burn about 150 extra calories each day x 7 days per week = 1,050 MORE calories burned weekly or a total of 4,200 calories each week.
Before beginning any diet or exercise program, it is recommended that you consult your physician or other qualified health care provider. More fitness & Nutrition Tips >>

The Basics of Weight Loss: Top Five Tips for Starting your Weight Loss Program

The Basics of Weight Loss:
Top Five Tips for Starting your Weight Loss Program