Weight loss often seems like a mystery. Obviously, it is related to the food you eat. Every 3,500 calories you subtract from your diet should subtract a pound from your weight, in theory. But not all calories are created equal, and dramatically reducing caloric intake changes the composition of your body. Here's what you need to know about cutting calories in order to lose weight.
Calculating Calories Required to Maintain Weight
To quickly calculate how many calories you need to eat in order to lose weight, take your weight and multiply it by 17. If you weigh 140 pounds, you should eat about 2,380 calories. This assumes you are moderately active. If you are very sedentary, multiply your weight by 14. If you are very active, multiply your weight by 20.
Reducing Calorie Intake
Once you know what it takes to maintain your body weight, you know that reducing the number of calories you take in below this amount should cause you to lose weight. Obviously, if you stopped eating altogether, you would lose weight very quickly, but not as quickly as you might expect. Your body kicks into starvation mode when you cut calories too dramatically. Try lowering your caloric intake by just 10% to 15% for 4 weeks. During this time, make sure you eat five or six times a day, and make sure you take in 30% to 40% of your calories in protein and 30% to 40% in complex carbohydrates like fruit and vegetables. Eating often keeps the body from falling into starvation mode. Eating protein helps retain muscle mass, which is important because muscles burn calories faster than other tissues in your body.
Exercise More
Even 30 minutes of exercise a day can really help your weight loss efforts. Exercise keeps muscles strong and burning calories. It is also good for your bones, your heart, your lungs and your overall appearance.
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