The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That's about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet, while keeping your activity level the same, you can lose approximately one pound a week.
All right - that doesn't sound like much, especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.
So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:
* Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.
* Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories
* Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories
* Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories
* Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories
* Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.
* Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.
* Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving
If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:
* Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.
* Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories
* Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour
* Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories
* Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.
* Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories
It's important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.
For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.
Visit my web site for more information
Michael Contaro
simple weight loss
In my fitness consulting business, I get the opportunity to... Read More
As a weight loss coach I speak will people regularly... Read More
You've decided it's time to lose some weight. A lot... Read More
I'm sure you have pondered this question, for it is... Read More
You could try one of the many sexual enhancement drugs... Read More
Many critics in have attacked low carb diets for only... Read More
1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning.As soon as... Read More
What is low carb?We've all heard about the Atkins diet... Read More
Looking for Diet Programs on net is like looking for... Read More
Obesity and fast foods - there's little doubt about the... Read More
Two basic approaches to losing weight; one approach is correct... Read More
Whether coming from a close friend, the nightly news or... Read More
Twenty years of health club consulting, 50,000 hours of paid... Read More
Obesity, especially in children, is a matter of rapidly growing... Read More
Life is great, isn't it? Stop and just look around... Read More
I want to talk to you about cows and what... Read More
The rediscovery of the wealth of the wonder drug Hoodia... Read More
Doctors prescribe Walking as the best medicine for weight loss.We... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
Now that the temptations of the Holiday season have passed... Read More
You've heard the popular advice on weight loss diets. Cut... Read More
Cut the Calories, Bring Out the BikiniSummer's almost here and... Read More
RISING POPULARITYGastric bypass surgery has become a popular surgical procedure... Read More
Have you ever wondered with all the weight loss programs... Read More
What are the best fad diets? It's a question I'm... Read More
on demand house cleaning Lake Forest ..I am embarrassed to admit how many different commercial weight... Read More
Obesity is now assuming epidemic proportions. Worldwide there are over... Read More
The diary is an essential help in reaching your weight... Read More
Although the big push for fad diets has died down... Read More
1. Drink 8-10 glasses of water each dayOkay, for many... Read More
The only way you will ever follow through on an... Read More
Fat has had a lot of bad press and for... Read More
Are you just exploding with the presence of light all... Read More
If you are into herbs and natural cures, you've undoubtedly... Read More
Now this is the real American Dream! I'm here to... Read More
Obesity acceptance, also known as fat acceptance, has a simple,... Read More
Remember there's more to you than meets the eye. You've... Read More
Whole grains and weight loss have a definite, scientific, and... Read More
In 1994, I had a RNY surgery. At 350 lbs... Read More
If you're thinking of going on a diet to lose... Read More
Have you ever stopped to calculate how much time you... Read More
R...real foodE...exerciseS...spiritual stuff first and the other stuff secondU...ultimately, you... Read More
(Ailsa's Apple Crumble Diet)I'm Scottish, so it's not a big... Read More
Dieting presents many complications if you are not fully committed... Read More
The vast majority of postpartum women will not return to... Read More
Think for a moment about the highest mountain you ever... Read More
When was the last time you focused so much on... Read More
Cellulite is not a medical condition or an aesthetic mutiny... Read More
Digestion is a chemical process. Our body combines different types... Read More
In general, fast weight loss is not healthy. The faster... Read More
Weight Loss |