It is winter in North America and many are already dreaming of that teeny weenie bikini (or look svelte in those trunks) by summer, right? But most don’t want to give up all the foods they love to get there. In just a couple steps – and with some better understanding of calories – we can get you there…
Proper weight. It depends on a variety of factors – how tall you are, male/female, and how big your frame is are the primary factors, but other things also play a part – including where you live, how old you are, and your physical health. Some people naturally carry more weight and others are rail thin. All these things matter. But if you are determined to fit into the “norm,” most of the charts you will find online are for people in good health between the ages of 25 – 30. Here is the best one I could find:
Recommended reading: http://www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm
Where you live plays a part for the extremes – near the equator vs near the poles – I think you can deduce the difference. Your age also plays a part – as you age, your body slows down, that includes your metabolism UNLESS you remain very active. In addition, your weight typically will go up after menopause (both men and women) between 5 – 10 pounds due to the drop in hormones. Physical health also plays a part – if your body is not healthy / weak / diseased – your weight will be different than others with the same physical characteristics. I stress that you should be healthy when starting a course of weight loss – as the fat is broken down toxins typically are released into the body which will weaken your immune system until they have been flushed from the body. You need to ensure you are adding additional water to your daily regimen to compensate.
Diet Fads. I really dislike the fact that we use the word “diet” to mean two VERY different things. Your diet is what you consume. A “diet” meaning you want to lose weight is bad news all the way around. In order to lose weight you must change how you look at food and change your relationship with food.
Love yourself. We ALL have parts of our body that we don’t particularly like. Some people don’t like their shape, others their legs or butt… before you can make that huge step from dieting to changing your diet, you must come to terms with your own body. Strip down and stand in front of the mirror. Really look at yourself. Are there things you can change? What can’t you change? How do you really feel about your body and why? Were you teased as a child? Are you self-conscious? If you are wanting to make a big change, you must first learn to love all the pieces of you….JUST AS YOU ARE!
Calories and Burning Fat. The same basic rules apply to calories as to your weight. There are many different factors that all play a part. HOWEVER, EVERYTHING you have been told about calories and losing weight is WRONG. Eating less and exercising more. Eat less fat and more carbs. Eat low-fat foods. All LIES! Some of the leanest people in the world eat nearly 3550 calories a day! And most of those calories comes from FAT. So, what is the truth?
It is quite simple. Eat REAL food. Remove sugar and grains from your diet. Eat good carbs – fruit and vegetables. Eat good fats – animal, coconut, olive oil, avocados. That’s it. It’s really THAT simple. Yes, you need to move – 30 minutes a day of walking is a good starting place.
You must also change your relationship with food. You can’t eat when you are sad or bored. You can’t snack all day long. Intermittent fasting will do wonders for not only your weight, but how you sleep and the brain fog you may have.
If you are a serious calorie counter, here is a good calculator – make sure to put in your ideal weight and your current level of activity (or inactivity) to see what you should be maintaining for calories. Again, this should be a jumping point. NOT something you should live by.
Recommended reading: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
Come back next post for the tasty stuff… changing those guilty pleasures into healthy pleasures…
Blessings. E