You've been going out for dinner often, or maybe you've stopped going to the gym. Next thing you know, your shirt feels tight around your love handles and you're wearing shorts because you can't fit into your pants anymore. Gaining weight is the bane of many peoples' existence, but lucky for you, I've been through the journey of weight loss twice, and I can tell you exactly what you need to do so you can finally get that beach bod, or fit in that airplane seat, depending on your starting point.
Why should you believe me?
In a time period of less than 250 days, I have lost 19 kilograms of weight without any exercise. I hurt my back, and I needed to do it, or kiss weightlifting goodbye. Fortunately for you, you don't have to weight for any injury to motivate you, because I will.
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| 19 kilograms later |
How does the body work?
I'm not a nutritionist, nor a physicist of any sort, but there's a reason old people tell you to lay off the chips if you're getting burly, and it's pretty simple.
Calories in - Calories out = Weight gain/loss
If you're eating more calories than you're burning, you'll gain weight, mostly fat.
If you eat less calories than you burn, you'll lose weight, a mixture of fat and muscle.
Does this mean that you shouldn't go on a diet if you don't want to lose those gains? Better to reframe that issue: What good is muscle if you can't show it off in the first place?
Step 0: Get a scale if you don't have one, and get a food scale
Step 1: Calculate your energy needs
There are two main metrics that people use. There's the basal metabolic rate (BMR), which tells you how many calories you'd burn if you were practically in a coma, and the Total Daily Energy Expenditure, which accounts for your lifestyle. This is the tool you want to use, because it's what you will base your calorie deficit off. For this you need to know your height, which you'll use any old body scale for, and weight.
Step 2: Calculate the deficit you want
The consensus in places like /r/loseit is that the biggest deficit you should aim for is about 500 calories per day. With that deficit, you should lose about one pound per week, if you're being honest about how much you're eating and how active you are. If your goals are less ambitious, or you simply have less wiggle room, you can aim for a smaller deficit. You're still doing more for your body than you would by overeating.
Step 3: Track your meals
I use Myfitnesspal, but there are other apps like loseit, so you can pick which one works best for you. You'll post what foods you're eating, and how much. Don't forget sauces, and oils, those add up. Get a food scale, and measure your food with a food scale. No lying.
Step 4: Patience
You didn't get fat in a day, hell, you probably didn't notice until you passed a certain tipping point. In that same vein, you won't get a beach body in a day. Exercise your patience, it's good for you.
That's pretty much it. There are many good resources for losing weight, but for the weight itself, all you need is thermodynamics. Now, foods with protein tend to be more filling, as do those with fat.
If anybody questions your efforts and tries to convince you that because you're not doing the Atkins, Paleo, or Ketogenic diet that you're going to fail, don't worry, trust the process and prove them wrong. Those diets are legitimate, but mostly because they tailor the meals you eat in a way that will make you feel more satisfied with fewer calories. You can see how that would be an issue with someone who doesn't fill up pretty easily, such as myself.
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