Calorie Deficit: Long Term Weight Loss That Works
Working with people both in and out of the classroom for over 20 years has led me to this conclusion; most people want to lose weight. The problem is this; there is too much information out there. While Google is an amazing search engine, put in how to lose weight and you’ll get thousands of ways to do so! It makes it too difficult for someone to pick one thing.
Unfortunately, the allure of the fad diet/quick fix is what many gravitate towards. And… every single fad diet works! That is, until you go off of it. When I’m asked about the latest diet, my standard reply is, “can you see yourself eating this way at Christmas? Or for the rest of your life?” If the answer is ‘no’, then run away from the diet--fast. You know how it goes from here. You’ll lose weight--let’s say 20 lbs. Then you go off that diet and gain back all of that and more. It’s a vicious cycle.
What I coach all my clients on for permanent weight loss is a calorie deficit. It’s NOT glamorous, it’s NOT sexy either, but it does lead to sustainable weight loss.
Our bodies are like chemistry experiments. When you’re looking to lose weight, finding the amount of calories your body needs for weight loss is the key! Everyone is different. Men get to eat more(damn testosterone) and our calorie needs decrease as we get older (it stinks!).
An app like MyFitnessPal is a great tool to use to see what you are actually consuming in a day. Many are swimming down the river of De-Nile(denial) about how many calories they are actually consuming in a day. Logging every lick, bite, and taste is the best way to get a handle on your calories.
Let’s say you are eating 2000 calories a day and not losing weight. Instead of dramatically decreasing your calorie intake by 500 calories a day, try eating 1900 calories a day for a week to see if you lose weight. If you don’t, decrease by another 100 the following week.
Why no drastic calorie reductions? Because you will feel restricted. Restriction leads to binge eating. The exact opposite of what we are trying to accomplish.
Also important is regular exercise! I encourage everyone to find movement they love so they will continue to do it forever! When people look at exercise like a chore, it’s quickly forgotten. Movement that people love, stays in their lives on a regular basis.
I also encourage people to strength train on a regular basis- including core work in every single workout! The core is paramount to our fitness/health, therefore needs to be included in every strength workout! I know what you’re thinking; how could abdominal exercise ever be ‘fun’? All it takes is finding the right type of workout on the right piece of equipment in order to identify the exercise that’ll put you on the path to success. For fun and effective abdominal exercises, I recommend the AbCoaster® PS500, from The Abs Company.
We start to lose muscle every decade after 30! Keeping our muscles strong helps our metabolism run efficiently (burns more calories on a daily basis) as well as protects our bones. We all see older people break bones… let’s build our muscles now, to protect our bones later!
Working out is vital for long term health, burning more calories daily, as well as a great stress reliever! It’s a bonus to have extra calories burned when you’re looking to lose weight. Keep an eye on your food, log everything that goes in the piehole, and know it’s a slow process but 100% worth it!
For more great blog posts on fitness, nutrition, mental wellness, and more, visit The Abs Company’s official blog page.
About the Author:
Pam Sherman. Trainer, Instructor, Author, & Motivational Speaker. Pam is a 50-something soccer mom, life long runner and health & wellness enthusiast. Pam is thrilled to be working with the ABS Company to promote Fitness at ANY age.