How to Lose Weight

Reviewed by Bailee Whitworth, R.D., Certified Personal Trainer with Pryme Nutrition

This post has been a long time coming. If you type “how to lose weight” in Google, thousands and thousands of results pop up. There’s no shortage of articles and opinions on the “best” way to, and how to, lose weight.

So why am I writing this article? Because 99.9% of these articles miss the mark and don’t provide any real value in my opinion. This article will give you a run down of the basic mechanics of losing weight (energy in versus energy out) and give you some jumping off points from there on how to lose weight safely and sustainably.

If you have disordered eating, please seek the help of a qualified professional.

The Science Behind Losing Weight

The first thing to understand about weight loss is that you have to eat in a deficit in order to lose weight. While there are a variety of factors that can also affect weight loss, the consensus is that you have to eat less calories than your body is burning. Think of it as energy in versus energy out.

Typically, the average human being will need to burn 3,500 calories for every one pound of fat they want to lose according to the Mayo Clinic. A healthy amount of weight to lose is approximately 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week. Losing any more weight than that per week could put you at risk of health problems such as nutritional deficiencies, muscle loss, and more. It could also be an indication that your method of losing weight is unsustainable.

So Does This Mean That I Have To Count Calories?

No. However, it is important for you to understand the science behind losing weight as it’ll quickly illuminate how popular diets across the world work.

Why? Because they all share one thing in common.

They help reduce the amount of calories you are consuming.

Whether it be keto, low-carb, sugar-free, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Paleo, whatever, they all work to ultimately reduce the amount of calories you’re eating.

Ok, now that we’ve gotten that cleared up, let’s dive into what next steps are.

Choosing How to Lose Weight

Alrighty, now there is one thing I recommend you genuinely reflect on before continuing:

• Why do you want to lose weight?

I ask this question because so many of us have different reasons to lose weight. And that’s ok! But it is really important to understand your desires and motivations. I’ve found that those who want to lose weight for superficial reasons (hi, guilty!) tend to fall for more outlandish claims that are not backed by scientific evidence. The more you understand your desires and motivations, the more you can protect yourself from harmful rhetorics and behaviors that could send you down a bad road.

For example, let’s say I wanted to lose weight for a vacation in two weeks. I might ignore very sensible and sound advice because it’s too slow and potentially fall for something that will help me shed way more weight in less time. Now, again, you do you, but understand that the more weight you lose in a shorter amount of time, typically, the more unsustainable that form of weight loss is. It’s really really important to understand that some of the things you may have done to lose weight fast are not behaviors that should become everyday habit.

Does that make sense?

Ok.

Now, it’s time to ask yourself if you can afford to speak to a professional such as a registered dietitian. Everyone’s nutrition needs are different and not one size fits all. A registered dietitian can help you understand what your unique caloric and macronutrient needs are, and build you a tailored plan for success.

If not, that’s ok too.

So…where do I go from here?

You could go the route of using online calculators and what not to determine your individual caloric and macronutrient needs. However, I am personally of the opinion that before you get into all of that (as it can be triggering and can make you overly obsessive without professional guidance, in my opinion), I think you should start off by making small, sustainable changes over the period of a month. However, that being said, if you’ve already found a sustainable method of weight-loss that works for you, keep on doing that! There’s no need to change what you’re doing if it’s working well for you.

Here’s where I’d recommend you start:

• Keep a food journal for a week and write down everything you eat. This will help you understand your food preferences and areas where you can cut back.
  • For example, if you notice, “Wow, I love pasta,” then that’s great! Perhaps one thing you can do is reduce your serving of pasta by half and then add in spiralized zucchini to add bulk.
• Try and incorporate more vegetables into all meals.
  • Do you enjoy eggs in the morning? Add some sauteed spinach to it.
  • Love a big grilled cheese sandwich for lunch? Add some bell peppers to your grilled cheese!
• Add in one serving of fruit per day.
  • Fruit is packed full of vitamins and minerals! Having an apple, raspberries, strawberries, etc is a great way to start making healthy habits.
• Find healthier alternatives of foods you love and enjoy regularly.
  • Deprivation is the biggest detriment when it comes to losing weight. You can do anything for a limited amount of time but if you avoid the foods you love, you’ll end up bingeing later on.
  • There are a lot of ways to make the foods you love healthier – loved fried rice? Try my kitchen sink cauliflower rice. Obsessed with Reese’s peanut butter cups? Try my lower calorie white chocolate peanut butter cups.
• Drink more water and cut back on sugary drinks!
  • We can sometimes mistake hunger for thirst. It’s a good idea to drink a glass of water and then re-evaluate.
  • Consider having a sparkling drink like Spindrift in place of your usual soda.
• Focus on meals that incorporate fiber and protein.
  • The combination of fiber and protein leaves you feeling more satisfied and less likely to mindlessly snack.
  • For example, if you love eating enchiladas, consider eating it with a salad fulled of fiber packed vegetables and legumes such as artichoke, broccoli, lentils, etc.

Try the above for a month and focus on 20-30 minutes of movement every day (can be anything from a workout, a walk with your dog, vacuuming, etc). You should be feeling pretty good by now and will probably have cut down your calories just by making simple, sustainable changes.

As a disclaimer, if you do end up eating more veggies or salad, please be aware of any salad dressings, dips or toppings that come with them. They can often pack in hundreds of extra calories into your meal, ultimately impeding your weight-loss. I’m not saying to not eat them – just be aware.

It’s Been a Month…Now What?

If you feel like you want to lose more weight, this is the part of your journey that may be suitable to start determining your personal caloric intake. The Fit Body app (read my review here) actually determines your caloric and macronutrient needs, provides meal ideas centered around your macros, and gives you access to a registered dietitian so you can ask questions and adjust as needed. It’s one of the best and well-rounded options out there to lose weight safely (in my opinion).

Ultimately, the road to weight loss is all about determining what works for you. Some of you may thrive simply by making small changes. Others may love counting your macros. And others may thrive by following diets and finding motivation from that community. It all depends and there is no one size that fits all.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. You’ll hate reading this but there is no quick fix. Healthy weight loss takes time and the simple fact of the matter is that you need to be eating less than you are burning. I recommend focusing first and foremost on your nutrition because I firmly believe that you can’t out train a bad diet. Good luck!

Honestly yours,

Alice

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