A Simple Guide to Losing Weight by bonnie Pfiester
Numerous diet options, tricky gimmicks and
complicated rules can distort the truth, confuse the desperate and
discourage the simpleminded. It’s time to get back to the basics. My
desire is to help give you the absolute basics to a livable healthy
lifestyle based on simple and practical guidelines that can be
maintained for life. I came up with six simple tips based on basic
physiology that I personally follow, called the BASICS. After you
get comfortable with the BASICS lifestyle then you can build on
this foundation as you increase your knowledge to a balanced
understanding of fitness and nutrition. As always, we suggest that you
consult a physician before making any changes to your diet.
Begin with counting calories. Your body burns calories. If you want to lose weight, you want to either take in fewer calories than you burn, OR burn more calories than you take in. Use the formula in the Calorie Guide provided (below) to help give a general idea of the amount of calories you burn each day. Start educating yourself by reading labels and purchase a small calorie reference book to carry with you. Try to eat foods that are a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat.
Allow for frequency. We do not allow enough time to eat. We even skip meals. Eating often increases your metabolism which helps to burn more calories throughout the day. The idea is to eat 5 to 6 times a day which can be in the form of 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. The key to success is to plan ahead. If you shop smart, you’ll eat smart. A generic guideline I use allows snacks to be around 100-150 calories and meals between 300-400 calories.* Whole foods, fresh fruit and vegetables are always your best choices but Americans don’t always have the time to cook or prepare them. Be realistic when you grocery shop and purchase items that best fit your lifestyle.
Snack between meals. Some people make this step too difficult. Keep it simple. The best tip to snacking success is to always have one on hand. You have to be prepared. This prevents hunger and the temptation to overeat at your larger meals. Some practical and portable snacks or meals that I keep handy include the Q-Smart Bar, South Beach Diet Bar, Lean Cuisines, high-protein bars/drinks, fruit, nuts, Smart Pop mini-bags of popcorn and 100 Calorie Snacks.
Incorporate exercise. Exercising increases your metabolism. It’s more difficult to diet without exercise since your calorie allowance and metabolism is typically lower than someone that exercises. Dieting without exercise may also cause your metabolism to a slow down even more in an attempt to make up for the decrease in calories. The idea is to speed up the metabolism and increase your caloric allowance with exercise giving you a little more freedom and energy.
Control Portions. Portion control is America’s biggest battle. We live in an “All You Can Eat” and “Biggie Size” world. A good guide to a healthy portion is an average Lean Cuisine meal. Tips for portion control include using salad plates instead of dinner plates, buying single serve meals and snacks instead of large boxes of cereal or bags of chips and dividing meals in half when eating out. You can still enjoy great foods in moderation.
Stick with it. We are all human and we all give in to temptation at one time or another. This is a lifestyle, not a temporary fix. Success requires perseverance so never give up and know that you can always go back to the BASICS.
*Your total daily allowance depends on your activity level, metabolism and goals.
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CALORIE GUIDE
How do you know how many calories you should take in? Let’s start with how many calories you burn. The formula below is a simple guide to help you get an idea of the approximate calories you burn. This is not the most accurate formula, but one of the easiest to use. Let’s get started.
A. Define Your Activity Level
Choose Your Activity:
q 1.3 – sedentary, sitting most of the day, light housework/work
q 1.4 – light activity, work, housework, exercise 2-3 times a week, stand or walk at work
q 1.5-1.6 – moderately active, all the above activities, exercise 1 hour 3-4 days a week
q 1.7 – very active, all the above daily activities, exercise 1-2 hours every day of the week
Choose Your Metabolism:
q 10 – Slow (Sleepy after a meal)
q 11 – Normal (normal or feel the same after a meal)
q 12 – Fast (Fidgety or hyper after a meal)
B. Apply Above Numbers in this Simple Formula:
Your Weight:_______ X Activity:_____ = _________ X Metabolism:______= _____________
The answer is approximately the amount of calories it would take to maintain your weight as you are.
MEN increase caloric intake by 5%-10%. Since men normally have more lean muscle tissue, men need more calories.
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