Weight Loss: Unbiased, Simple and Straight Forward

Let's talk weight loss.  I'm not here to push a product or sell magazines.  I'm here to help you.  That means unbiased, simple, and straight forward facts to help you reach your weight loss goals. 

First, you must burn more calories then you consume.  Plain and simple.  If you are taking in more calories by eating and drinking then you are burning calories at rest and during exercise, you are not going to lose weight!  [3500 calories = 1 pound]  That means if your "road map to success" is losing one pound a week, you have to burn 500 calories more then you consume in a day.  That being said, the first thing to do is remove unnecessary foods and beverages from your diet.  (i.e. soda, alcohol, ice cream, chocolate, Chipotle) 

Second, start drinking water.  Drink lots of water!  You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water every day.  Drinking water regulates your body temperature, transports nutrients and oxygen into cells, helps metabolism, lubricates and protects joints and detoxifies.  Best of all it has 0 calories. 

After you've cut the unnecessary foods and beverages from your diet, it's time to figure out how you are going to create your calorie deficit each day.  Creating a calorie deficit can be done both, aerobically and anaerobically.  Aerobic exercise requires oxygen and is performed for longer durations (i.e. walking, jogging, biking and swimming).  Oxygen uptake is proportional to heat expenditure for aerobic exercise.  That means, the more oxygen your body uses, the more calories your body will burn.  Anaerobic exercise does not require oxygen and is performed for short durations (i.e. weight training and quick bursts of energy).  Weight training helps your body burn more calories at rest by having to rebuild broken protein chains thus building more muscle.  [1 lb of fat burns 2 calories/hour at rest | 1 lb of muscle burns 6 calories/hour at rest]  Any good exercise program uses a balance of aerobic and anaerobic training.

I wish it was that easy but it's not all diet and exercise.  Weight loss is mentally challenging as well.  You have to really want to lose weight for a weight loss program to be successful.  Weight loss doesn't come easy.  In some cases, you have to change your entire life to see the results you want.  Share your goals with the people around you so they can support and encourage you.  Make sure you are holding yourself accountable for your actions both in exercise and diet.  There is no such thing as a cheat day.  Do not sabotage any of your hard work.  Keep your focus until you reach your goal weight.  

If you are finding it hard to stay focused and motivated on your own, find a partner.  Find a co-worker, a neighbor, a family member, a friend or a personal trainer.  Find someone that pushes you to "work towards something greater"!

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it.  Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason].  Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!