This is a very hot topic and seems like there is always a “new greatest weight loss plan.” There are many diets and regiments that have been promoted over the years as the easiest way to lose weight healthy at-home. Thes plans range from anywhere to extreme fasting, not eating carbohydrates, or even only eating chicken. The absolute truth that is backed by science is that the body holds calories when they are not burned. Your body uses the food and fuel you give it to provide an energy source for movement. If the movement reduces but the calories stay the same, then fat is stored.
Think of how I said the body is built for 10,000 B.C. Was there overweight cavemen? Probably not because if they were overweight then they would be an easier target for predators. The cavemen were constantly foraging for food because they did not have stores or fast-food places. They had to spend calories to go and get their next meal. That meal would then provide energy for the next hunt or forage.
Today, things are different, and it is very easy to find or get food and everything takes less actual energy. You can even order groceries on an app, so we do not even have to go walk the store anymore. All these convivences reduce our calorie expenditure. So, the “hack” is simple, reduce your caloric intake and increase your caloric needs. This sounds difficult but to see healthy results it does not take much change. Do not fear losing weight and get into a negative thought cycle about how hard it is and the delicious food you will no longer be able to eat. This is not the case for most people.
One pound of fat is 3,500 calories. Over time we store extra calories that our body did not need and these calories add up quickly to become stored fat. This is what we want to get rid of. The health benefits that your body will see once extra fat is lost will begin to exponentially charge the process. This means if you stay with the “plan” then over time you will see faster and faster results. The 3,500 calories of fat equals one pound on our body. If you reduce it by 3,500 calories then you will lose 1 pound. It is that simple. Reduce your calories by 3,500 and you will see weight loss. This is done by cutting 500 calories daily and after 7 days, one pound of fat is gone forever.
I am sure you have heard this all before and struggle with the thought of 500 calorie reduction in a day. This is where the greatest healthy hack comes in. If you do not change anything you currently do except you cut out 250 calories from your diet and burn an extra 250 calories through movement then you will see great results. You will be surprised when you see how easily you can cut out 250 calories and how little exercise you would have to do to burn 250 extra calories.
The first thing you want to do is identify your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the number of calories your body needs when at rest. Even if we do nothing but lie in bed, our body still needs energy to stay living. It takes energy or calories to breathe, pump blood, and for our organs to work as normal. It even takes calories to use our brain and think. Once you do your equation you will see what exactly you need to eat to maintain your current level of weight. I like to use the “Harris-Benedict Equation” to figure out the BMR.
“Harris-Benedict Equation (Basal Metabolic Rate)
Men: BMR=88.362 + (13.397 x weight in kg) + (4.799 x height in cm) – (5.677 x age in years)
Woman: BMR= 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) – (4.330 x age in years)”
This equation gives you the bare minimum calories you need to stay living if no movement is made. You take the number given to you and multiply it by your current activity level. The chart shows what numbers to multiply by to find your actual caloric needs for your daily life.
“BMR Multiplier for Daily Activity”
Sedentary (little to no exercise): BMR x 1.2 = Caloric needs to maintain.
Lightly Active (light exercise 1-3 days a week): BMR x 1.375 = Caloric needs to maintain.
Moderately Active (moderate exercise 3-5 days a week): BMR x 1.55 = Caloric needs to maintain.
Very Active (hard exercises 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.725 = Caloric needs to maintain.
Extremely Active (very hard exercise or very physical job): BMR x 1.9 = Caloric needs to maintain.
These multipliers are important to get the calories needed for your specific lifestyle. Once you calculate your BMR and multiply it by your lifestyle you will have the exact number of calories you need to maintain your current weight. Now it is easy, just reduce this number by 500 daily to lose one pound every week in a healthy manner.
The “hack” is to split the 500 calories between reduce caloric intake by 250 and increase demand (exercise) by 250. This can be done easily once you understand how many calories you already intake. For example, a Venti White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks is approximately 480 calories. I never suggest making big changes to a new client because the more changes introduced the less likely the person is to stick with the plan. I would not suggest to quite getting Starbucks but instead suggest ordering a Grande instead of the Venti. The same White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks is only approximately 390 calories for a Grande. That one simple change already cut out almost 100 calories.
Calories can be reduced easily by looking for areas. If you drink alcohol after work, understand that a single beer is approximately 110 calories (Bud Light). You can just drink one less beer and a Grande coffee instead of a Venti and you already reduced 210 calories. When you get lunch at a fast-food restaurant, you still get your favorite meal but instead get a small soda or no soda at all. These are easy ways to reduce your calories by 250 without changing your daily enjoyments.
Increasing your caloric needs takes a little more effort but burning 250 calories is not that hard. Walking one mile burns approximately 100 calories. This is always a great way to begin the caloric deficit. You can enjoy yourself outside, take your dog or allow your children to play while you burn your unwanted fat. Doing exercises throughout the day such as air squats, lounges, or even standing up longer burns calories. Ten Air Squats burn approximately 5 calories depending on your weight and fitness level. This will add up quickly. The harder the exercise, the more calories burned. A quick equation to figure out the calories burned is:
Calories burned = (number of exercise conducted x .4) x (your body weight) / 150
This example equation is not perfect and there are more in-depth equations to use but this one is easy to get a good idea. Use this to estimate how many calories you burned from the simple quick exercises you performed. Reaching 250 calories burned from exercise is fast and you will begin to feel better and burn fat so quickly that you will be excited to perform a few lounges while making your lunch before work.
To summarize, losing weight is not as hard as we think it is. It can be overwhelming to look at the fitness world and see so many programs and “best ways” to do things and wonder where to begin. This is the hack you need to begin and see results. Do the math, make the small changes, put in a little effort, and you will lose weight in a very healthy manner. You will need to constantly update your math every few months because as weight goes down the caloric needs also go down. As exercise strengthens our body, the effort becomes easier and takes less energy. Understanding this math can be simplified by hiring a personal trainer but you can do it yourself.
I hope this was clear and you now have a basic understanding of how to constantly lose weight without making huge commitments to gyms or cutting out your favorite foods. As time goes on, to meet different goals you may need to reduce more and begin eating a better more balanced diet for most, this weight loss hack will work quickly and effectively. Thank you for reading, click the heart button if you think this information was helpful and leave a comment if you have any questions. Living Lee Life is attempting to bring the right knowledge to you all so we can all be healthier longer. Be sure to subscribe so you can get updates every week when I post the next blog. As always, stay happy and helpful!
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