So you have decided you want to lose weight. But the big question is how is the best and fastest way to accomplish this? While it is human nature that when we want something, we want it right away and of course the easiest way possible. Businesses around the world realize this and have capitalized on our desire to be thin.
Every kind of diet you ever could ever imagine, special weight loss foods, miracle weight loss pills, a huge range of so called revolutionary weight loss exercise machines. You name it, somebody is selling it promising you fast, simple and amazing results.
The weight loss industry was a $68 billion dollar industry in 2017 and is continuing to grow. So you have to ask yourself this question. Why if people are spending that much money on trying to lose weight, are so many of us over weight?
You would think with that kind of money being spent, the majority of us would be thin.
Quick Fixes to Lose Weight Don’t Last
Sure you can spend lots of money buying things to try and get miracle results. Businesses in the weight loss industry would sure like us to believe that. That’s why these businesses spend so much money on slick professional advertising showing these amazing results.
So maybe you have tried an amazing diet program. The results are supposed to be fast and easy. You starve yourself, only to find you have no energy, and can’t eat any of the foods you really enjoy.
Your probably hating it.
It may be working for you, but is this something you can or want to continue for the rest of your life?
I don’t think so.
You may even lose lots of weight, but most likely you will end up just gaining it back in the near future.
Have you ever tried dieting and lost weight only to gain it back again at a later date?
This has happened to a huge amount of us.
So what is a person to do to lose weight on a permanent basis?
First of all forget about quick fixes or gimmicks.
Let’s be honest with ourselves.
We didn’t gain the weight overnight, so we aren’t going to lose it fast either.
How To Lose Weight Simplifed
Losing weight is about changing your lifestyle. If we don’t, our results will only be temporary.
We need to adopt a lifestyle that can be enjoyable and something we can sustain on an ongoing basis.
So let’s break this down how to get and maintain the results you desire.
Watch Your Diet
First of all we need to prioritize what we eat. Spread your meals over at least 3 or more per day. Limit sugar to a minimum (empty calories that you don’t want), focus on lean protein meats, healthy fats, whole carbs from fruits, veggies & whole grain.
Get yourself a calorie counting app for your phone that tracks your calorie and nutrients intake. I use the MyFitnessPal app. This apps will calculate what your body requires for calories and nutrients. Set it so you are eating about 300 calories less than what your body requires.
By having a 300 calorie deficit daily, you should be losing about 1/2 lb to 1 lb of body fat per week. Now don’t think that more is better, because that will defeat the purpose here. What we are trying to accomplish is to lose body fat, NOT body weight.
Our goal is to make the body healthier, not just lighter. Set your self a target of getting your daily calories from a formula of 45% carbs, 30% protein and 25% fat. You need to be burning 300 more calories than you are eating daily.
So if you follow your daily calories and nutrients, you can still occasionally eat your favorite foods. But remember the more you indulge in unclean foods, the slower your progress will be.
Control your portion sizes and watch your daily total calories and nutrients while trying to get your nutrients from clean food sources.
Having a meal plan like this you shouldn’t feel starved or that you are missing out like a diet would make you feel. Because the whole idea of this is setting up a meal plan that you can sustain on a ongoing basis.
Remember you can’t out exercise bad nutrition.
Combine Cardio and Lifting to Lose Weight
A cardio workout burns more calories than weight training while you are doing it. However when weight training, your metabolism stays elevated for a sustained time after the workout is completed. So you actually end up burning more over time by lifting weights. Combining the 2 different methods gives you far better results.
Cardio
You should target to get at least 3 – 20 minute workouts of cardio in per week. This can be brisk walking, running, swimming, treadmill, elliptical, etc. Anything that gets your heart pumping and you breathing heavy. You want to try to get your metabolism sped up for the entire workout. Mix up your workouts to keep variety and stop boredom from setting in.
Lift Heavy Weights
While weight lifting is commonly viewed as an exercise for bulking up, you can also lift weights to slim down. In fact weight lifting for weight loss can be a extremely effective if you take the right approach. Focusing on mass building compound exercises. Such as squats, dead lifts, bench presses and rows. These exercises use more muscles at a time and therefore burn more fuel.
You need to progressively challenge your body to adapt to increasing the intensity of your workouts. Forcing your body to build more muscle which burns more fuel.
You should plan to weight train at least 3 days per week for 30 to 45 minutes per time. In the beginning days you will feel stiff the next day. Don’t let this discourage you, as it will get less on each following workout.
Why Would I Want to Build Muscle to Lose Weight
If all a person does is go on a diet and lose weight, they lose shape and muscle definition when the weight goes down. But you don’t have the shape or definition you are looking for.
By controlling what and how much you eat and combining it with weight training you are burning body fat and replacing it with muscle.
More muscle = more calories burned. Each 1 pound of fat burns only 2 calories compared to 1 pound of muscle burns 6 calories.
Also muscle is much nicer to look at and gives you the nice body shape you are desiring.
So to some this up, forget the get skinny fast deals. The weight went on slow, so it will also come off slow.
Do it in a way that is healthy, safe and a way that you can continue to maintain.
As the body fat comes off and is replaced by muscle, you will find you have an amazing amount of energy that you haven’t felt in years.
Making you feel years younger.
Don’t worry about becoming hugely muscular, that only happens with extreme weight training and supplements such as steroids.
Weight training will give you the fit body you have always wanted. It can be yours, you just have to decide to invest the time in yourself.
Aren’t you worth the investment?
Healthy is the new sexy.
Please tell me about your weight loss thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
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I enjoyed reading your article. As somebody who has been a runner and into fitness for quite a while, I know that a plan like what you have outlined is the way to go. There is no quick and easy way for long lasting results. It definitely takes a bit of work and diet control.
Thanks for comment Ryan!
Doug,
This article is very inspiring and much needed. I hope a lot of people will find your blog and start working out no matter the age we have.
It’s never to late to start. Thanks Andrea!
This is such a great article. I hear so many people talking about losing weight but you never see action. You are so right that you have to change your left style. It is a commitment to eat right and dedicate time to work your body. Many people can do the dieting part, but when you tell them they have to get off their butt and work, that is where you lose a lot of people. This is a very unique website, I bet its going to blow up soon! keep up the good work.
You get out of it, what you put in. Thanks for commenting Zach!
Hi Doug, amazing post! I’m into bodybuilding and living an active healthy life. What you explained here is so informative and correct, which many starting bodybuilders don’t understand. Keep up sharing making and sharing such posts 🙂 looking forward to your next one!
Bodybuilding makes me feel amazing and full of energy. It’s something that can’t be explained to people who don’t lift. You need to experience it to know what I’m talking about. Thanks for the comment Ye, I really appreciate it.
It is so important to know how dieting works. This post has so many great information that is so useful. We need to keep our health a priority. Thanks for sharing this 🙂
I’m glad you found it useful. Thanks for commenting!
Hello. Love the article. I shared it to my husband since he is over 55. Great info.
Nice to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting!
Hi Doug,
I read your article and I will download the app.
My weight accumulated after my neck accident. I was unable to move. I just had surgery 12 weeks ago and I am ready to loose this baggage!
Thank you for sharing!
~Elizabeth
The app really helped me to keep track of what I was actually eating. I hope all is now well with your neck? Thanks Elizabeth!
Thank you Doug. This is straight to the truth.