Talking to one of my clients on Saturday about the huge Jaffa Cake tube I got for Christmas, made me realise that the calories in verses calories out equation means nothing to most people, so let me explain what energy balance means.
First you need to understand that one pound of fat is made up of roughly 3,500 calories. So in order to lose one pound of fat, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories and there are essentially three ways to do this.
3 ways to lose 1lb a week
1. Cut the Calories
Eat fewer calories than you burn each day. Usually this is done by calorie counting. Look on the back of most food pack and it will tell a heap of information including the total calories. Keep in mind that your body burns calories all day long as part of your basal metabolic rate (BMR), because it takes energy (calories) for your body to perform basic functions such as breathing, digesting food, pumping your blood and even thinking. Add to that, physical activity (working, walking, driving, shopping and exercising) also uses calories.
We need to measure your BMR and then add calories for your daily activity to work out you daily calorie needs supposedly 2000 calories for the average female and 2500 for the average male.
So, if you eat 500 fewer calories each day (less than 3 Jaffa Cakes) for a week, you’ll lose about one pound of fat (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories)
2. Burn more calories
If you eat enough calories to support your BMR, but exercise more, you’ll create a caloric deficit simply by burning extra calories. This works only when you’re not overeating to begin with or if you are not over compensating by eating more because you have exercised!
So, regardless of your BMR, if you exercised to burn an extra 500 calories each day, you’ll lose about one pound of fat in a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories)
3. Eat Less and Exercise More
Now where have I heard that before?
This can be an effective way to lose weight and keep it off. It’s much easier to create a substantial calorie deficit when you combine dieting with exercise because you don’t have to deprive yourself from food, and you don’t have to exercise like a person possessed!
So, if you cut just 200 calories a day from your diet and burned just 300 calories a day (which is an average for gym users), you could also lose about one pound per week and of course it is easier to double this up to lose 2lbs a week following conventional guidlines
Some people hate to cut calories, while others hate to exercise, so a combination approach is generally easier and is the preferred method for a conventional approach to weight loss.
Why weight loss often fails:
This is a whole topic in itself but, in essence.
- Calorie counting is time consuming and boring
- You focus on food all the time which makes you hungry
- Most people reward themselves for exercising by eating more
- Everyone has a different hormonal response to food
- Weight Loss is not necessarily fat loss – you could be losing muscle too
- Other factors effect weight control and have no calories e.g. Environmental Conditions, Quality of Sleep, Reactions to Stress and Hydration Levels.
You could argue that this is the reason why you would do better with someone to help with practical and proven advice that will suit your own personal circumstances?
I would love to hear from you if you would like to know more about weight loss, Personal Training Packages or ParkFit Bootcamp
Peter Moorhead – peter.moorhead@celebratehf.co.uk
Head Coach and Personal Trainer
About Peter Moorhead
