Weight Loss: Long-Term Results

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Getting the weight off seems like the hard part but it really isn't that hard if you stick to your plan. It's keeping it off and not going back to your old habits that can be hard. But with a little guide on how to lose weight and then how to keep it off it's really easy.

Aim to lose one to two pounds a week to reach your weight- loss goal.  3,500 calories equals a 1 pound, you need to create a 500-calorie deficit each day — I believe it's best combined eating proper amount of calories and burning off the calories with exercise — to lose one pound by the end of one week.

• Burning 500 calories a day through exercise can be a challenge for some people. Someone who weighs 170 pounds would have to walk for more than an hour — 67 minutes — at four miles per hour to burn 507 calories.
• People that have this issue need to simply eliminate fast foods such as doughnuts and sweet drinks from their diet and they will be able to lose about a pound a week.

However, dieting alone doesn’t usually help people lose weight and keep it off. When you eat less, your metabolism slows, which means you burn fewer calories throughout the day.
The solution: Keep your metabolism revved up with exercise while eating healthy choices.

HOW MANY CALORIES TO EAT?
There is actually a simple formula that answers this question easily. While there's actually not a magic number of calories that a person should eat each day that is universal for everyone, most people find that they can lose weight by eating about 1,500 calories per day. You can assess your own individual needs by using a little math. To estimate how many calories you should eat a day in order to maintain your weight, you can use an easy formula called the Harris-Benedict principle. This will tell you your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. In order to lose weight, then, you'll need to eat less calories and burn extra calories at a level which is lower to your BMR.

BMR formula

How do you calculate your BMR? Keep in mind that factors like height, weight, age, and gender also play a part. Remember that this formula is for adults only. The first step is to use the following equation and find out your BMR:

For women:

655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

For men:

66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

How active are you?

Now it's time to take your daily physical activity into account.

• If you're not active at all (sedentary), then take your BMR and multiply it by 20%.
• If you're somewhat active, multiply by 30%;
• If moderately active (you exercise most days of the week), multiply by 40%;
• If you're very active (you work out daily or for long periods of time), 50%;
• If you're exceptionally active (you perform hard labor on a daily basis, or you're in athletic training), multiply by 60%.

After multiplying by your percentage, add this number to your BMR. The result from this math will be the number of calories that you can eat every day and maintain your current weight. As mentioned above, if you want to lose weight, you'll need to consume less than this number. Of course, as you lose weight, you can recalculate with the formula and find out your new BMR.

HOW MANY CALORIES TO TAKE OUT OF YOUR DIET!
So, if you cut back 500 calories a day, you should lose about one pound per week. That said, If you exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you should lose approximately one pound per week. Do both, and ... you get the picture. Ideally, you should do a combination of both, (such as cut back 250 calories; burn an extra 250 calories).

Your weight loss will vary from week to week and at times you may even gain a little weight -- if you're working out you could be developing muscle, which weighs more than fat.

Lose at a Healthy Rate
A healthy weight loss goal is to lose .5 to 2 pounds per week. Losing more than 2 pounds per week will mean the weight is less likely to stay off permanently. Never cut back to fewer than 1,200 daily calories without medical supervision.

Long-Term Results
Never start a diet plan you aren't willing to stick with for the rest of your life. Cut bad habits out and keep them out. Junk food should be enjoyed on special occasions or in moderation. Workout hard all the time and always challenge yourself to do more. Be you BEST FRIEND!  Check out my FOOD DIARY for meal ideas.