You’ve just started a new workout routine and eating a more healthy diet (after noticing those jeans have in fact not shrunk, *sigh*), and you’re asking this one important question: How long does it take to lose weight?
Is it a few days? Please, be yes. A few weeks? A few months?
Let’s go over some basics about calories and weight loss:
You burn calories from living and from doing stuff
You consume calories from stuff you eat and drink
Physiologically speaking, to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume.
So, how long will weight loss take?
Well, this depends on the individual as every person’s body and goals are different to one another. There is no calculation for this as every individual is different and how your body responds to exercise will differ, as well. For example, someone new to diet and exercise will lose quickly, while someone who has been doing this for a long time, will lose more slowly. There is no magic formula when it comes to predicting weight or fat loss.
A great rule of thumb to live by if you are serious about results, you want to move mindfully more often than not and follow the 80/20 rule – 80% whole nutritious food, 20% processed food. This alone should make a difference to your body composition and overall health.
Anyone can lose a massive amount of weight in a short amount of time through crash dieting and excessive exercise (remember the TV show, The Biggest Loser? Do a web search on the contestants now). When you work with me, if weight or body fat loss is your goal, we do it in a healthy, sustainable way; the only way ;-)!
1. Be realistic with your weight loss goals – People who lose weight gradually and steadily (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more successful at keeping weight off.
2. Avoid dieting and skipping meals – Skipping meals bad for your mood, energy levels and overall health, but it can also affect the way you eat later on. If you do skip meals, you are more likely to eat more when you do eat. Crash dieting is a short term solution that will increase your body fat levels in the long term due to your body lowering its metabolic rate as a result.
3. Exercise regularly – Train four times per week for 45-60 minutes per workout; doing a combination of resistance (weight) training and cardiovascular training.
4. Cut down on the refined carbs – They’re the comfort foods we most often crave: pasta, fries, pizza, white bread, sugary desserts. Refined or simple carbohydrates include sugars and refined grains that have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients. When you eat refined carbs, your bloodstream is flooded with sugar which triggers a surge of insulin to clear the sugar from your blood. All this insulin can leave you feeling hungry soon after a meal, often craving more sugary carbs. This can cause you to overeat, put on weight, and over time lead to insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes.
5. Watch your portions – Be cautious of portion size of main meals and snacks — always eat to 80 percent full before returning for second. If you are unsure of portions, using a food scale is key!
6. Avoid drinking your calories – Steer clear of drinking your calories by avoiding beverages that contain ’empty’ calories like calorie laden soft drinks, energy drinks and fruit juice.
7. It’s never too late to start (or to try again) – It all starts with your mindset. Health is in the mind, so remember it’s never too late to start; you are never too old to start and it is MOST DEFINITELY never too late to rekindle your passion for health and fitness!