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
Many people limit themselves to one soda a day especially... Read More
We have such good weight loss intentions. We emotionally beat... Read More
There are several theories on the origins of Valentine's Day.... Read More
How many of your New Year's resolution start out with... Read More
With summer completed and school back in session, it'll be... Read More
The latest trend in the area of weight loss is... Read More
This past Christmas Season, as most of us stuffed our... Read More
Speculating on the scientifically proven memory unreliability, the memory specialist... Read More
There's no way you can separate the Jack LaLanne diet... Read More
When most people think of low carb diets they automatically... Read More
Ever thought of, known someone, or gone on a diet?... Read More
We, as a society, are always trying to lose weight.... Read More
Cellulite is a condition for which cures are commonly sought.... Read More
When was the last time you focused so much on... Read More
Can You Lose Weight Where You Want?If you have excess... Read More
Choosing a weight loss program may be a daunting task.... Read More
Diners have become more health-conscious the last few years, and... Read More
Dietitians just plain don't like low-carb or high-protein diets.Whether it's... Read More
Cardio Exercise...A huge variety of fitness activities provide cardiovascular benefits.... Read More
The average American eats about twice as much protein than... Read More
Think for a moment about the highest mountain you ever... Read More
We have plans for everything these days. That is how... Read More
In March 2003 our then 13 year old daughter, Helen,... Read More
From personal experience I have myself like all of you... Read More
Now I know you're always asking yourself questions.You know the... Read More
pet-friendly home cleaners Glenview ..There are certain eating habits that can make you gain... Read More
Atkins diet was unknown 35 years ago. Though it seems... Read More
I want to talk about the "all or nothing" outlook... Read More
Almost everyone has attempted to follow diets and weight loss... Read More
1. Persistence!Violate this step and you'll never achieve permanent results.... Read More
Lose The Weight For Good With The Seven Phases of... Read More
RISING POPULARITYGastric bypass surgery has become a popular surgical procedure... Read More
How would you like Julia Roberts to coach you on... Read More
As of the writing of this article, May 16, 2005,... Read More
Digestion is a chemical process. Our body combines different types... Read More
Although every dieter knows that keeping food records is a... Read More
Body Mass Index (BMI)Body Mass Index is an accurate indicator... Read More
The incidences of deseases like obesity, diabetes, colon deseases etc.are... Read More
Food manufacturers can easily manipulate a whole population by the... Read More
As a part of a children's diet and health study,... Read More
The story broke in the international press on October 4th,... Read More
Flip through a magazine, scan a newspaper, or channel surf... Read More
This Article was originally Published in The July 2004 Issue... Read More
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!The health clubs are always racking... Read More
1.The first step to living a Glycemic Diet Lifestyle is... Read More
You're always hungry right? The last thing you have time... Read More
Fasting, when done properly, can be a basic part of... Read More
Is Zone Diet a Fad?How do you recognize a fad... Read More
In a gastric bypass the connection between he stomach pouch... Read More
Am I missing something here? If I am, someone please... Read More
Weight Loss |