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Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Table of Contents
#1: Set a Realistic Weight Loss Goal.......................................... 4
Women’s Body Weight Chart ........................................... 6
Men’s Body Weight Chart ............................................... 7
Healthy Body Fat Range Chart ......................................... 9
Body Mass Index Chart ................................................ 11
#2: Understanding the Science Behind Successful Weight Loss ...... 11
#3: Establish a Detailed Eating Plan ........................................ 13
Calculating a Deficit ................................................... 15
What to Eat .............................................................. 16
#4: Become an Avid Reader of Food Labels .............................. 17
Understanding Servings and Calories ............................... 18
5 Key Nutritional Components ....................................... 19
#5: Use a Food Journal ....................................................... 21
Understanding Your Journal ......................................... 23
Daily Journal Page ..................................................... 26
#6: Preplan Your Meals ....................................................... 27
#7: Exercise Regularly ........................................................ 30
Cardiovascular Training ............................................... 30
Strength Training ....................................................... 31
#8: Add an Incidental Activity to Every Day .............................. 33
#9: Get on the Scale Regularly .............................................. 35
#10: Establish a Support System ............................................ 35
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Lose Weight Now!
10 Surprisingly Simple Tips
Congratulations. Requesting this booklet means that you are serious
about losing weight.
According to the Center for Disease Control, as of 2007, 67% of Americans
are now overweight or clinically obese.
Not only have adult obesity rates doubled since 1980, perhaps more
alarming is that childhood obesity rates have tripled in the same time
period. Obesity and overweight are contributing factors in over 20
chronic diseases and can be attributed to more deaths annually than
smoking, making obesity the number one killer in America.
According to the US Surgeon General, overweight and obesity is one of
the most serious health problems the United States faces today.
It’s no wonder, therefore, that Americans spend over 50 billion dollars
annually on weight loss products. Perhaps you have invested in other
products and for one reason or another you have not yet succeeded.
The goal of this booklet is to provide you with the top 10 strategies for
successfully losing weight and keeping it off long-term.
Most likely none of these items will be news to you. Collectively,
however, these items represent a comprehensive strategy for you to
follow.
By integrating each of the 10 items into your daily life you will soon be on
your way to reaching your goal weight and living a healthier and perhaps
happier life.
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Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
#1: Set a Realistic Weight Loss Goal
One of the primary reasons people fail at weight
loss is they set themselves up for failure by making
an unrealistic goal. Much of this stems from the
fact that we live in a society where people want
and expect instant gratification.
Although this may apply to information, no such
thing exists when it comes to weight loss.
If you have gained your weight over a number of
years it will most likely take months (not days) to
take the weight off. The question you may be
wondering then is “What is a realistic goal?”
How much weight you “should” lose and how much weight you “want to”
lose are two very different things.
Certainly, an “ideal body weight chart” may say that you need to lose 30
pounds but the reality of the situation may be that you have not been
that weight in many, many years.
Therefore, a realistic goal is really a number of pounds you believe you
can lose. Certainly it should be a weight that you have been at in the
last 10 years.
Know that it is much better to set a smaller weight loss goal and achieve
that goal than it is to set a large goal that isn’t reached and results in
your feeling like a failure.
Finally, remember that many studies have confirmed that it is much
better for overall health and well being for someone to lose just 5-10% of
their body weight and keep it off than it is to lose a large amount of
weight only to re-gain it.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
In determining your goal weight, ask yourself these questions:
• What was my lightest weight in the recent past?
• Was I healthy at that weight or was I experiencing an illness?
• Were there any external factors affecting my weight at that time?
Although establishing a realistic goal weight is a highly individual thing,
some people want a guideline allowing them to compare their current
weight with a reference point to determine a weight loss goal.
There are a number of ways that medical professionals determine what a
healthy body weight and size should be. Let’s discuss some of the more
common ways.
Weight Charts
Weight charts are the most common reference for determining a healthy
goal weight.
An individual’s gender and body frame is taken into consideration and a
range is provided.
Although the most common, weight charts are not the most accurate
source for determining a healthy goal weight.
We will discuss this later on but for now know that the charts at least
provide a general guideline.
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Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Below you will find the chart for both men and women taken from the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company guidelines.
Women’s Body Weight Chart (+- 3 lbs. for clothing)
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Men’s Body Weight Chart (+- 5 lbs. for clothing)
Although taking into consideration ones’ body frame helps to determine a
more realistic weight, these charts have their limitations because they do
not take into consideration an individual’s body composition—or muscle
to fat ratio.
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Body Composition
Body composition is exactly as it sounds; it is a breakdown of your body’s
composition into categories to more accurately define whether you are
healthy or not.
Specifically, body composition identifies what percentage of your body is
fat tissue versus lean tissue, more commonly referred to as muscle.
As one might imagine, the less body fat one has (so long as they are not
emaciated), the healthier their body will be.
Although the body needs a small amount of body fat to survive, excess
body fat is more than just unsightly, it is potentially dangerous, with
study after study confirming that as body fat increases, so does an
individual’s risk for such chronic diseases as high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, heart disease, type II diabetes, and certain forms of cancer,
just to name the more common ones.
There are several ways to measure ones’ body
composition, with the least accurate being caliper
testing (where certain places on the body are
pinched and a device measures the excess), to the
most accurate being water submersion.
The most common way to measure body
composition, however, is electro impedance,
which is a machine that looks like a normal
scale but actually measures the time it takes
for an electric signal to pass through the body.
After water submersion, this type of
measurement is the most accurate and is
much, much more affordable and accessible.
You can purchase a home body composition
scale at your local pharmacy or if you are the member of a health club
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
often the fitness department will provide members with complimentary
body composition tests and reports.
Once you have obtained a body composition reading you can use the
following chart to determine if you are in a healthy body fat range.
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Body Mass Index (BMI)
As health professionals continued to realize that body fat was a much
more accurate way to determine an individual’s health risks, the need for
some type of standardization was needed.
As a way to avoid having to use one particular type of composition testing
that may or may not be available, the first set of federal “fat” guidelines
was published by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
The form of measurement used for these guidelines was called Body Mass
Index, abbreviated BMI. Simply stated, BMI is a number that symbolizes a
relationship between height and weight as a means for predicting your
health risks.
Some general observations with the BMI chart are as follows:
• As your BMI increases, so does your risk for heart disease, stroke,
diabetes, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and other chronic
diseases.
• BMI is not a reliable guide for the following:
–Women who are pregnant.
–People who are very tall or very thin.
–High level athletes or those who do high intensity strength training
and therefore have a higher percentage of muscle.
To determine your BMI and whether or not you are in a healthy range, use
the chart below.
First, locate your height to the left; locate your current weight at the
top; find the intersecting box.
The number in the box tells you your BMI number.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
The color of the box tells you whether you are healthy (green),
overweight (yellow), obese (orange) or extremely obese (red).
Body Mass Index Chart
Regardless of what chart you reference, most likely you will have a good
idea of what a realistic weight loss goal is for you. Certainly, if you have
any questions you should consult your health care professional.
#2: Understanding the Science Behind Successful Weight Loss
Now that you have a better understanding of how much weight or body
fat you want to lose, let’s turn to understanding how your body actually
loses weight.
For most people, the concept of weight loss is a vague one.
We all have a notion of what dieting is, but most of us know very little
about how weight loss actually occurs. To understand weight loss, you
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must first understand the basic concept of our bodies’ energy
requirements.
Every day, even someone who is
sedentary expends a certain amount
of energy to function. The energy
required in a single day to function
varies from individual to individual
based on many factors such as work
habits, age, activity and body
composition.
In order to replace energy lost and
maintain general health, everyone must consume food that contains
various proteins, fats and carbohydrates. All of these foods contain
“calories.”
Weight loss, at its’ most basic level, is a calories-in, calories-out
equation. If you consume more calories than your body burns in a day,
you will gain weight.
On the other hand, if you consume fewer calories than your body burns,
your body will compensate by drawing on its own reserves.
These reserves consist of your stored body fat and lean body tissue.
The key to successful, long-term weight loss is getting the body to burn
the stored body fat, and NOT your lean body tissue since a loss in lean
body tissue results in a slower metabolism.
When the body has a slower metabolism, and you go back to normal
eating, your body gets even fatter because it no longer has the ability to
burn as many calories in a day! This is known as the yo-yo dieting effect.
On the other hand, if you burn stored body fat instead of lean body tissue
you will reduce your weight while maintaining maximum lean body mass.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
This will keep your metabolism higher and help you keep your weight off
long-term.
Proper “fat burning” is only accomplished by eating a well-balanced meal
plan and exercising regularly, two things that we will discuss later on.
For now know understand that there is no magic pill to losing weight.
Gimmicks don’t work. Pills and creams will not provide a simple solution
but rather only rob you of your hard earned money.
Weight loss only happens when your body has a caloric deficit.
How you create that caloric deficit greatly impacts both your short and
long term success. Knowing that, let’s move onto strategy #3.
#3: Establish a Detailed Eating Plan
Now that you understand the weight loss
equation you must create an eating plan that
ensures your body is in a caloric deficit each
day.
Therefore, in order to determine how many
calories you must reduce in order to lose
weight you must first know how many calories
a day your body burns at rest.
This is called your resting metabolic rate.
Unfortunately, this test can only be done at a
facility that has the correct medical
equipment needed.
You can call around to your local health care providers to have this done,
but a simple and fairly accurate way to calculate your daily caloric needs
is by using an average and then applying some basic multiplication.
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Yes, it is only an average but for most people it provides a close enough
base line to begin with.
The average female body burns 11 calories per day, per pound of body
weight.
The average male burns 12. (This assumes that your metabolism has not
been compromised through low-calorie diets or loss of lean body mass
from years of inactivity, which would result in a lower daily caloric
expenditure.)
Therefore, to calculate the numbers of calories you burn in a given day,
multiply your weight by 11 or 12.
This means that if you are a 160- pound woman you will burn
approximately 1,760 calories per day (160 x 11).
If you are a 200-pound man you will burn approximately 2,400 calories
per day.
Please know that these calculations do NOT take into consideration any
physical exercise. Therefore, to more accurately determine the total
number of calories you burn in a day you must also add any caloric
expenditure from your exercise activities.
Use the worksheet below to make your calculations. Be sure to take
some time right now and figure out what your basic daily caloric
expenditure is because you will need this later on for your journaling.
________________
Your weight
X ______________ = __________________
11 for women
Avg. RMR*
12 for men
*Be sure to add number of daily calories you burn from exercise.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Therefore, if you walk three times per week and burn 200 calories you
would burn 600 calories per week from that exercise.
If you divide 600 by the # of days in the week (7) you get an average of 86
calories. Therefore, you would take your average RMR and add 86
calories.
The final figure will be the average number of calories you are burning
each day.
Calculating a Deficit
Now that you have calculated the average number of calories you burn
each day, the next obvious question dieters ask is, “How many calories do
I need to burn in order to lose each pound?”
3,500 calories equal one pound.
Therefore, if you create a caloric deficit of 500 calories per day, you will
lose 1 pound in a week.
(Important; never drop below a 1,200 calorie per day diet unless you are
under the supervision of a doctor.)
In order for a 160-pound woman to lose weight, she would first need to
determine how many fewer calories per day she wants to consume.
Assuming she would like to lose 1 or more pounds per week, she could
reduce her caloric intake 500 calories fewer than her daily caloric burn
rate of 1760, meaning she would consume 1,260 calories per day.
Next, she will need to take the number of meals she consumes per day
(typically 3) and divide that into the 1,260 calories.
This 160-pound woman should eat 420 (1,260/3) calories at each of three,
daily meals to lose 1 pound per week through eating choices alone.
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Keep in mind, these figure do not take into consideration any extra
calories burned through exercise, meaning that if one both reduced
calories and increased exercise, weight loss can be increased.
What to Eat?
Finally, once you have determined the number of total calories you need
to eat each day you now need to make decisions about what type of foods
you will consume to reach that caloric level.
It is here—in the choice of foods—that most dieters have challenges.
The reason is that it is all too easy to make one bad food choice, resulting
in unwanted calories and no daily deficit.
As a general guideline adults should consume a certain number of servings
of food within each category (protein, starches, fruits, vegetables, dairy,
fats).
Of course, the type and size of any selection you make will impact the
total number of calories, below is a general guideline to follow:
• 1-3 servings of meat (including red
meat, chicken and fish) and meat
alternatives (eggs, protein shakes or
bars);
• 3-5 servings of vegetables;
• 2-3 servings of fruit;
• 2-5 servings of breads and cereals;
• 2-3 servings of dairy
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
The specific number of servings of each food group a person should eat
will vary depending upon the total number of calories you should
consume daily in order to lose weight.
You have already calculated this final number in the earlier section; now,
work backwards to determine your final food choices.
This will require some time, the use of your calorie counter book and a
calculator.
To maintain good health and lose weight, begin eating more foods in their
natural state, like fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, chicken and fish,
and natural whole grains, plus low-fat dairy.
Further, stay away from bleached flours because they are high in calories
without providing the fiber and bulk to help you feel full.
Consuming wholesome, nutritious foods from these food groups each day
establishes the foundation for life-long eating habits that will maintain a
healthy weight.
Of course, consuming three servings of meat (or meat alternatives) does
not mean consuming an entire package of bacon for breakfast.
Likewise, two servings of fruit and one serving of bread does not equal
one large piece of pie.
#4: Become an Avid Reader of Food Labels
As part of your strategy to monitor the number of calories you consume
each day, it will be important that you learn how to properly read food
labels, ensuring you make the best possible choices.
The nice thing about food labels is that although they have many
numbers, every food label is set up exactly the same way.
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Therefore, once you learn how to read one, you’ll be all set for any label.
Understanding Servings & Calories
At the top of every label you will find two serving facts.
The first is “what constitutes a serving size” and the
second is how many servings are in an entire container
or package.
It is critical that you pay close attention to each of these
items to ensure you don’t over-consume.
For example, something as seemingly harmless and
“healthy” as trail mix that lists just 120 calories per
serving is often loaded with fat and has 6 servings in a
tiny bag.
This means that one very small bag of trail mix results in
consuming more calories than you would in an entire
meal!
The second important item is the amount of calories.
In particular, knowing how many calories a serving size has will allow you
to monitor your portion sizes correctly.
Calories from fat are also important.
Generally speaking, the lower the calories from fat, the healthier the
selection.
You never want the total calories from fat to exceed more than 30% of
the total calories.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
In the example given above, the calories from fat are 15 out of a total 60,
making the percentage 25%.
The 5 Key Nutritional Components
Nutrition labels are generally confusing to most consumers because, quite
frankly, they provide more information than is really necessary.
This makes the label seem overwhelming.
To make label reading as easy as possible, it is best to focus in on just 5
of the breakdowns; total fat, sodium, total carbohydrate, sugar and
protein.
If you have a specific condition that requires you to take extra careful
note of cholesterol, fiber or a nutrient, you should be mindful of those
items.
However, as it relates to general weight loss and maintenance, 5 basic
items will keep you on track. Let’s discuss each and learn why they are
important.
Total fat is exactly as it sounds and this figure gives
you the total grams of fat where the earlier statistic
gave you total calories from fat.
Any pre-packaged item that gives you more than 3
grams of fat for every 100 calories is probably too
high in fat and should be considered a “rarely”
choice.
In addition, if a high percentage of the total grams
of fat fall into the saturated or trans fat categories,
the item should be avoided, as saturated fat is the
most dangerous for the body.
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Sodium is the next important category.
Small amounts of sodium are necessary for keeping proper body fluid
balance and the transmission of electrical signals through nerves, but too
much sodium can lead to dehydration as well as interfere with blood
pressure in sensitive individuals.
Most pre-packaged foods contain some sodium for flavor and preservation
but it is important to keep you intake under 2,400 milligrams per day.
Generally speaking, if a single serving of something has more than 500
mgs you should try to avoid it, except occasionally and be sure to watch
the rest of your daily intake.
Total carbohydrates and the sub-category of sugar are extremely
important to long-term weight maintenance.
Carbohydrates can be either complex (called starches) or simple (which is
sugar). Too many carbohydrates, and in particular too many sugars, raise
the blood sugar, and can throw off the bodies’ fat metabolizing systems.
Excess sugar can also lead to an increased appetite (because although you
consumed a high number of calories, they were not satiating) and energy
fluctuations.
If a single serving of anything has more than 20 sugars it should be
avoided.
Protein is very important to the body during weight loss and weight
maintenance.
Most of the body, including muscles, skin and the immune system, is
made up of protein.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
All too often most Americans fail to consume enough grams of protein
each day and instead live off of simple carbohydrates, which can lead to
weight gain.
What is great about lean proteins is that they are satiating but low in
calories. As it relates to label reading, protein sources that you cook on
your own and that does not come pre-seasoned, won’t be any cause for
concern.
Pre-seasoned or pre-packaged proteins can be very high in sodium and
fat. Care should be taken to carefully review the label before buying.
A Total Perspective
Reading labels is not that difficult.
The challenge is in disciplining yourself to take the time to review them
and then interpreting them without going into denial!
Shop for items that are healthier and balanced overall and avoid bringing
high sodium, high fat or high sugar items into your household because you
will be tempted to eat them.
With a small amount of effort and time, soon you’ll be a pro at reading
labels.
#5: Use a Food Journal
You now know the maximum number of calories you need to consume to
lose weight and have outlined the type of foods you plan on eating.
Having a plan is one thing; holding yourself accountable to it is an
entirely different thing.
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The ONLY proven way to keep track of your daily caloric consumption and
expenditures is to keep a food and exercise journal. People who keep a
journal are more likely to lose weight for a number of reasons.
• Keeping a journal helps you to develop discipline.
• Each time you eat you make a record. This helps you to think twice
before indulging in unhealthy foods.
• A food journal also helps you to see just what you are eating each day
and whether you are exercising enough.
• Looking back at your food journal can also help you to see if there are
any patterns in your eating habits, such as overeating on weekends.
• Journaling prevents you from going into denial!
By forcing yourself to write down every single item you eat or drink you
can avoid what behavioral scientists call the “eye-mouth gap.”
This refers to the phenomenon whereby people always calculate that
they have eaten fewer calories than they actually did in the course of a
day.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Journaling allows you to accurately count your calories, ensuring that you
consume fewer calories than you burn, resulting in weight loss.
This guide has been formatted to make it as easy as possible for you to
track your food consumption and exercise.
By using it daily you will be able to closely monitor both your caloric
intake and your exercise expenditure and be on your way to losing all the
weight you wish.
Understanding Your Journal
The journal pages that follow this section of the booklet are fairly selfexplanatory.
Let’s take a moment to outline each area to avoid confusion.
At the top left of each page is a place for you to write the date.This will
ensure that you don’t skip any days.
On the top right hand side of the page is a place for you to write down
your total daily caloric limit.
This is the figure you calculated earlier in the booklet by multiplying your
weight by either 11 or 12, depending upon your gender.
Next is a section entitled “Food Item or Beverage.”
It is in this section of the journal that you are to write down EACH and
EVERY thing you eat or drink in the course of that day. No matter how
insignificant you think it is, write it down!
In the right hand column next to that item is an area that allows you to
fill in the total caloric value of that item.
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Doing this will take a bit of practice and discipline because it requires you
to lookup that food item.
You can go on line and Google just about any item but we suggest that
you purchase a book called Calorie King for under $10 at any local
bookstore.
You will constantly be referring to this resource so it is a good
investment.
When writing down the total number of calories, please be honest with
the portion size.
You will only be fooling yourself if you don’t.
We suggest that you write things down AS YOU EAT THEM! Do NOT wait
until the end of the day to fill out your journal.
People have a tendency to have short memories
when it comes to food consumption.
Because you have already calculated how many
calories you should limit each meal to, in some
ways your journal is simply a tool to keep you
on track.
Near the bottom right hand side of the page is a
place for you to total up the calories you
consumed throughout the day.
You will have been monitoring that for each meal, but this is the final
daily tabulation.
Next, there is a section that allows you to write in the total number of
calories you burned that day as a result of exercise participation.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Again, be honest about the intensity and duration of your workout.
Finally, if you exercised that day subtract the total calories expended
through exercise from the total calories consumed.
Write the total in the box at the lower right hand side of the page.
If the figure in this box is greater than the “daily caloric limit” amount
located at the top right hand side of the page, you have consumed more
calories on this day than you burned.
This means you are at risk for gaining weight.
If the figure in this box is less than your “daily caloric limit” you are that
much closer to your weight loss goal!
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Daily Journal Page
Date: _______________
Daily Caloric Limit: ____________
Food or Beverage Item:
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
# of Calories:
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
Total Daily Caloric Intake:
____________
Today’s
Approximate
Exercise: ________________ Calories Burned:
____________
Subtract calories burned
From calories consumed
Enter final calculation at right
If your total above is greater than your daily
caloric limit goal you are in danger of gaining
weight. If it is lower then you will be working
towards losing weight
.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
#6: Preplan Your Meals
It has been proven that individuals who plan out their meals in advance
are more successful at losing weight than those who try to figure it out
meal by meal.
The reason is quite elementary.
When you have a specific plan written down, it is easier to follow and the
conscious mind actually feels more compelled to follow the plan.
Below is a whole series of tips and strategies that will help you to make
your meal planning easier.
Pre-plan your meals the night before
This is exactly how it sounds; completely plan all the next days’ meals.
Be sure to note the portion sizes and the exact times you plan on eating
those items.
Be sure to take into consideration what items you have in your cupboards.
Some people go as far as planning out an entire week at a time, and
make a grocery list as they make their choices.
This system accomplishes two things at once!
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Food preparation is a must
Both pre-planning your meals and ensuring you have all the necessary
items to cook with will help increase your compliance with healthy
eating.
Some people take it one step further and prepare their foods so they are
ready to eat in little or no time.
For example, many people will buy a family pack of chicken breast and
cook the entire package at once. This allows them to simply open the
refrigerator and take out the chicken, weigh the correct amount and then
add to their vegetables immediately.
This strategy works for either cold dishes or for quick re-heating.
Although protein seems to be the
favored food category to pre-cook,
some people will do the same with
vegetables.
For example, cleaning and cutting up
an entire head of lettuce or fruits will
enable quick and easy serving. This is
an especially good strategy for
singles, since cooking for one person
every night can be tiring.
Pre-packaging meals
If you are an individual who is on the go and living a fast paced lifestyle,
you may want to take your food preparation yet another step by prepackaging your meals.
Don’t confuse this with pre-packaged meals such as frozen or preprepared foods that you buy at the grocery store.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
What we are referring to is where you would prepare and pre-package
your own meals. This will enable you to open your refrigerator or freezer,
grab something and go.
For example let’s assume that you work in a job that has long hours.
On Sunday, if you pre-cooked and packaged all your lunches, you would
be less apt to order carry out.
In addition if you pre-packaged your dinner, you could have your meal
ready in a matter of minutes upon arriving home.
Have the right “tools” available
Pre-preparing and packaging foods is a great idea, but one that will be
short lived if you don’t have all the right tools to support the strategy.
To begin with, airtight containers are a must.
There are many choices on the market, but before you buy make sure it is
a product that will stand the test of time and dishwashers!
Some of the inexpensive containers available only survive several months
of dishwasher use and often do not hold up to freezing and re-heating in
the microwave.
We suggest paying a little more and going with a
name brand like Tupperware. Not only will it last
for years, in the end it is more environmentally
friendly than using “disposable” containers.
The bottom line is that when it comes to successful
weight loss the “6-P” philosophy applies: proper prior planning prevents
poor performance!
If you fail to plan then you plan to fail; so get yourself organized and put
together your eating plan ahead of time.
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#7: Exercise Regularly
When trying to lose weight, studies have shown that the quicker an
individual can lose weight (at a healthy and safe pace), the more
motivated they will be to sticking with their program.
Therefore, in order to maximize your weight loss without reducing your
calories too much, it is important that you burn more calories each day
with a structured exercise regiment.
More and more research has suggested that people who regularly exercise
are less apt to gain weight than their sedentary counter parts.
Let’s face it, exercise burns calories.
The revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes the importance
of physical activity for both weight control and overall health.
There are two primary components to an effective exercise program:
cardiovascular training and strength training.
Cardiovascular Training
More commonly referred to as aerobic
conditioning, cardiovascular fitness refers to
the body’s ability to take in and use oxygen
efficiently.
The more aerobically fit an individual is, the
stronger their heart and lungs are.
The stronger the heart and lungs, the more
blood the body will pump through itself.
Blood, of course, carries oxygen, and oxygen
supplies energy to the body.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
When you are more aerobically fit, you will have more energy throughout
the day.
Aerobic activity is one of the best activities to help burn calories—
especially exercises where you carry your weight.
Strength Training
Strength training is the one exercise that can
help your body increase its’ metabolism.
An increased metabolism means that you will
naturally burn more calories in the course of a
day.
At rest, each pound of your muscle tissue will
burn up to 50 calories per day.
Compare this with the 2 calories per day for
each pound of your body fat.
This means that if you added just one pound of
lean muscle to your body, you would use 18,250 additional calories per
year, the equivalent of 5lbs of reduced body fat! Body fat is burned
almost exclusively by muscle.
The Surgeon General recommends moderate activity all or most days of
the week, for example moderate walking for 30 minutes or running for 15
minutes.
Longer and more vigorous activity can be added for additional benefits.
The Surgeon General also recommends strength training to be done at
least twice a week with two sets of 8-12 reps of each major muscle
group.
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Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Moderate exercise uses about 150 calories per day or 1000 calories per
week and can include:
• Brisk walking for 35 minutes
• Bicycling 4 miles in 15 minutes
• Stair walking for 15 minutes
• Playing volleyball for 45 minutes
• Gardening for 45 minutes
• Washing and waxing a car for 45 to 60 minutes
• Shoveling snow for 15 minutes
• Raking leaves for 30 minutes
• Swimming or calisthenics
• Racket sports or table tennis
• Golf (without cart)
Of course, adding more rigorous exercise will burn even more calories,
allowing you to reach your weight loss goal more quickly.
Many cardiovascular machines will supply you with a read-out at the end
of an exercise session that tells you exactly how many calories you
burned based on the excursion maintained.
When exercising outdoors or on your own you can calculate the total
number of calories you burned by using the following guidelines:
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Type of Exercise
Calories
Aerobics class
Basketball
Bicycling @ 12mph
Bicycling @ 15mph
Bicycling @ 18mph
Circuit weight training
Cross country skiing
Downhill skiing
Golf (carrying clubs)
In-line skating
Jumping rope
Racquetball
Running (10 min/mile)
Running (8 min/mile)
Swimming (general)
Water aerobics
burned per minute
11.4
9.4
9.4
11.8
14.1
12.6
9.7
7.0
5.8
10.0
9.5
7.6
12.2
14.9
9.0
4.6
In the journal pages we have provided you there is a place to write down
your total daily caloric expenditure from exercise.
It is important that you are realistic in your calculations.
#8: Add an Incidental Activity to Every Day
In addition to structured exercise, another way to burn additional calories
is to find ways to add passive activity to your day.
As it sounds, incidental activity is where you simply look for opportunities
to be more active and physically exertive throughout the day.
Incidental activity is not structured and it is not vigorous and may happen
for only several minutes at a time.
The result, however, of increased incidental activity throughout the day
can add up to many, many additional calories burned each week.
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Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Here are some simple examples:
• Walking to the bus or train station instead of taking the car.
• If waiting for a bus, train or ride-share, pace back and forth on the
platform or waiting area instead of simply sitting or standing.
• Find stairways instead of escalators and
elevators.
• At work, walk the long way to use the
restroom or meet with co-workers.
• Go for a relaxing walk at lunch instead of using
the entire time to eat.
• When using shopping malls, take a spot as far
away from the door as possible.
• When grocery shopping, use a hand basket
instead of using a cart for minimal items.
• When leaving the grocery store, try and carry your bags instead of
bringing the cart to the car.
• When watching television at home, sit on the floor and do light
stretches or, if the mood strikes you, fit in some sit-ups as well!
• Put a stationary bicycle in front of your television; even if you just sit
on it and pedal lightly, it will burn more calories than sitting in the chair.
These are just some of the many ways that everyone can fit more
incidental exercise into their life.
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Many researchers believe that it is incidental exercise that has kept
Europeans much fitter, slimmer and agile in their older age than their
American counterparts.
So, look for ways to incorporate more incidental exercise into your day
and by the end of the year you will be any number of pounds lighter.
#9: Get on the Scale Regularly
Some people feel that the scale is their enemy, but in fact it is your
friend.
In fact, when researchers study individuals who have successfully lost
weight and kept it off one of the common factors is daily weighing of
oneself.
Think about it; not getting on the scale is a form of denial!
Conversely, if you get on the scale every single morning it will be
impossible for you to NOT realize you are gaining weight.
Best of all, when you weigh yourself daily you will make adjustments in
your eating and exercise habits before gaining too much weight.
#10: Establish a Support
System
Ask anyone who has changed any
personal behavior and they will tell
you that a big part of their success
was the support of the people
around them.
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Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
Whether it is family members, good friends, work pals or the staff at a
fitness facility, having support for your weight loss efforts helps you to stay
motivated and get through difficult times.
Let’s face it; there will be days when you feel like buying a pint of Ben and
Jerry’s and saying “To heck with the diet.”
Likewise, there will be times when you won’t feel like exercising. It is
during these times that having a support system proves important.
One way to establish your support system is by engaging your friends and
family members in the process.
Identifying individuals who are frequently in your everyday environments
(home, work, church, etc.) provides for the highest level of accountability.
Once identified, let those individuals know you are trying to lose weight,
and tell them exactly how to best be supportive. Be as specific as possible
with requests.
Is tough talk preferred (I’m going to watch you like a hawk) or sweet talk (I
know you can do this, you’re doing great)?
Should conversations be kept confidential or can they be discussed
openly?
Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
The more specific the instructions, the more supportive those individuals
can be.
In addition to the external support, telling others about your goals adds an
additional element of pressure to achieve.
Although some people will keep their weight loss efforts a “secret” until they
succeed, public disclosure almost always provides internal motivation
because people want to succeed.
You can also add support and motivation to your home or work
environment by posting progress notes to keep others informed as to how
you are doing.
This can also encourage kudos along the way.
Think about it; a child’s report card gets placed on the refrigerator, why not
your weight loss report card!
The more support you have at work, home, work and especially at social
activities, where food temptations will be at their highest, the greater the
likelihood of success.
Another wonderful way of obtaining support is by having a buddy
participate with you.
This is when you find a friend,
family member or even co-worker
who also wants to lose weight with
you.
When two people are working
towards a common goal there is a
higher level of accountability and
motivation.
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Lose Weight! 10 Surprisingly Simple Weight Loss Tips
The bottom line is that finding as many ways as possible to add support to
your weight loss efforts will help you in achieving your goal!
If you’d like to start living the benefits and privileges of a healthy
lifestyle and exercise program, please visit www.LivingTheBenefits.com
to find health and fitness professionals near you.