The Facts About Healthy Weight Loss and Nutrition

The Facts About Healthy Weight Loss and Nutrition

People suffer all over the world due to misinformation regarding nutrition and food. I’m writing this article to empower readers with their food choices and to give healthy tips for weight loss. Here are the facts about healthy weight loss.

Facts About Healthy Weight Loss

There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. So, in short, one would have to eat 3500 calories more than they burn to gain a pound of fat.

On average a man needs to consume 2500 calories a day to maintain his weight, or 2000 to lose one pound of weight per week. On average a woman needs around 2,000 calories every day to maintain her current weight. If she wants to lose weight she should aim for around 1,500 calories per day. If she maintains a consistent 1500 calories per day she should expect to lose one pound each week.

The flipside of the coin is if daily someone eats 500 calories less than they burn, they will, in theory, lose a pound a week (excluding plateaus and other medical factors). I say in theory because everyone’s body responds a little differently.

For most individuals, it is not healthy to have more than a 500-750 caloric deficit a day (caloric deficit – X number of calories less than you are burning. For example, if you are burning 3000 calories per day, a 500 calorie caloric deficit would equal 2500 calories to consume daily. Calories burned – caloric deficit= number of calories one should consume when wanting to lose weight).

Be Good To Yourself

If you consume too few calories, your body can go into starvation mode. Starvation mode is when you are eating too little, and the body essentially “gets scared” that it’s not going to get fed again anytime soon.

When this happens, the body will store all food consumed for later use, essentially turning all food into fat reserves. In short, I have known people that ate 1000 calories a day and actually gained weight.

Healthy weight loss is all about finding the magic, healthy caloric deficit number that is healthy and sustainable for you. This may take some trial and error. So, please be patient with yourself. Furthermore, this number may change over time.

The Facts About Healthy Weight Loss and Nutrition Get StartedLastly, regarding long-term weight loss, give yourself a cheat meal once a week. This will help keep your mind satiated while you are trying to make long-term, sustainable, and healthy changes.

Use Technology

I highly recommend getting a Fit Bit or Apple Watch. With this type of device, I would track an average week of calories burned, take the average, and base your caloric deficit on that number. Again, it’s important to accept trial and error and be willing to change this number if needed.

Record your progress over the months so you can see what’s working and what’s not. Tracking also allows you to easily make healthy modifications to your weight loss program.

Types of Food to Eat

It’s very important to eat a balanced diet. I am a big believer in having lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats daily.

Depending on the individual’s fitness goals, lean proteins should consume 35-45% of your daily calories. Complex carbs should consume 35-45% of your daily calories. Healthy fats should consume 20% of your daily calories.

  • Lean protein examples: egg whites, chicken breast, lean ground turkey, salmon
  • Complex carbs examples: broccoli, black beans, sweet potatoes, lentils, quinoa
  • Healthy fat examples: avocados, almonds, raw peanut butter, guacamole

Foods To Avoid

It’s important to avoid trans fats, and have no more than 25 grams of saturated fat a day. It’s healthier to have less than this though.

Also, watch out for added sugars. Things such as fructose corn syrup, anything with glucose are the sugar in disguise. Sometimes labels will not put added sugars in the ingredients list, but they will list them on the nutrition label. They legally only have to list it once. So, please watch out for that.

People should have no more than 100-200 calories of sugar a day. However, the less the better concerning added sugars in my opinion. Sugars will be located under the carbs section on a nutrition label.

Building on this, it’s a good idea to monitor sodium as well. A person should not have any more than 2300 mg a day.

In closing, avoid the 3 S’s-saturated fats, simple carbs (white bread, donuts, white pasta, etc), and added sugars

Turning Percentages Into Calories

When looking at nutrition labels the amounts are in grams. To turn grams into calories follow these formulas.

  • Fats – grams x 9
  • Carbs and Proteins -grams x 4

Celebrate Progress!

Celebrate small victories. Treat yourself to something for making progress such as watching your favorite movie, time with a loved one, getting a massage, etc. Something that will be relaxing and rewarding.

It’s not all about the end goal; the more important piece is the journey.

Find Your Zen

Try not to put extra pressure on yourself. Weight loss is a lot more challenging when one is overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. Often weight loss can be difficult when the body’s stress responses are activated. Yoga, meditation, and going for leisurely walks are great stress-reducing activities.

Have Self-Compassion

Be kind to yourself. If you fall off the wagon, get up with dignity, pat yourself on the back, and get back to it the next day.

Today is done. There’s no use beating ourselves up. All we can do is do better tomorrow.

Get Moving!

Finally, weight loss is not the only way to be healthier. Exercise is key to toning, shaping, having a healthy heart, and a strong cardiovascular system (among many other things).

Along with your weight loss journey, I feel it’s important to exercise. Most people don’t know that every pound of muscle gained burns 50 calories at rest. For example, if someone adds 7 pounds of muscle, then they will burn 350 calories daily at rest just for having added it.

Muscle helps to create a small fail-safe when someone does decide to have a cheat meal or falls off the bandwagon.

However, muscle does not allow someone to eat whatever they want. But, it does help people to maintain their body weight with a little more ease.

Wrap-Up

I hope this article that breaks down the facts about healthy weight loss has given readers things to consider regarding nutrition, food, and weight loss. I wish you all nothing but success and happiness in all your endeavors. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. My email is listed in my bio.

As always thanks for reading and stay tuned!

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