 By Heather Everyone knows that if you want to lose weight all you need to do is eat less and exercise more, right? Well, the question then becomes - how much less should you eat and how much more should you exercise? We map it out here: One pound of weight equals 3,500 calories. If you want to lose 1 lbs of weight per week you need to burn 3,500 calories in that week. You can achieve this by burning 500 calories more per day or eating 500 calories fewer each day. If you do both i.e. burn 500 calories more and eat 500 calories fewer each day, you will have a 1,000 calorie deficit everyday. This 7,000 calories of energy per week will amount to 2 lbs of weight lost. Simples. STEP 1: CALCULATE HOW MUCH ENERGY YOUR BODY NEEDS PER DAY A. Your basal metabolic rate is the minimum energy your body needs to carry out all the vital functions to keep you alive every day. You can calculate it using this excel based BMR calculator. My basal metabolic rate as a woman is: 1,303 kcal. Formula for women: {9.99 × weight (kg)} + {6.25 × height (cm)} – {4.92 × age (years)} – 161 Formula for men: {9.99 × weight (kg)} + {6.25 × height (cm)} – {4.92 × age (years)} + 5 Weight in lbs ÷ 2.205 = Weight in kg; Height in inches x 2.54 = Height in cm. B. Calculate how much you burn sitting around all day. Apparently, I burn 705 kcal per day. The formula is 1/3 * weight in lbs * hours not sleeping (=16 hours if you sleep 8hrs/night). Weight in kg x 2.205 = Weight in lbs C. Total calorie needs per day = A + B. I need 2,000 calories per day according to the formula. However, I have a condition that makes me prone to weight gain so accounting for this, I have (over time) deduced that I need about 1,500 kcal/day to stay stable. Unfortunate I know but it is what it is.  STEP 2: FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH YOU WILL BURN PER DAY Spread your weight loss throughout the week. If you eat too few calories per day, your body will go into starvation mode. This means it will conserve energy and not burn as many calories. In fact, if you eat less than 900 kcal per day for three days you will produce less of the hormone that tells your the brain when you have eaten enough; your appetite will be higher making it very hard to stick to a diet. How to spread the calories out So if you need 1,500 kcal / day like I do and want to lose 1 lbs/week, you can burn 500 per day every day OR you can have a day off and burn 600 kcal/day six days per week. On day 7 you can have your full 1,500 kcal. My formula: eat 1,200 kcal / day plus do enough exercise to burn 300 kcal / day. Here is a list of 8 activities that burn exactly 300 kcal. So there you have it: a more scientific approach to weight loss. Lots of diets like to dictate: do this and do that but we at Fat Creep™ think it is important to explain WHY you should do this or that.  Although your personal finances and your business success are my primary interest, I believe you only operate at peak efficiency when you're fit and healthy. If you feel good, it filters through to your work. To help you with that, click for your free ebook: The Quick Guide to Sexy
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By Heather
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Heather Katsonga-Woodward, a massive personal finance fanatic.
** All views expressed are my own and not those of any employer, past or present. ** Please get professional advice before re-arranging your personal finances.