Ok, so Weight Loss is a big topic. Lots of people in America want to or need to lose weight and we spend billions of dollars every year trying. Given the statistics, we’re not winning this fight against being overweight. This is crazy. I believe it was Einstien who once said, “The definition of insanity is doing what you’ve always done, and expecting different results.” I might’ve butchered the quote but you get the idea.
So how do you change things to make progress? What is the “secret” to losing weight? Well frankly it isn’t a secret at all. In fact, it’s very simple:
- Take in less calories than you burn off and you lose weight.
- Eat the same as you burn, you stay the same weight.
- Eat more calories than you burn and you gain weight.
Unless you have a medical condition that changes your metabolism, it’s that simple. However… Once you get to the point that you want to try to lose weight, why is doing that simple task of taking in fewer calories than you burn off so darn hard?
The reasons for difficulty are varied, and often more complex than the means to lose weight, but it often comes down to a combination of eating poorly, not exercising enough or at all, or a combination of these 2 factors.
Exercise:
This isn’t an exercise blog, so I’ll stick to the basics here. There is no “right” exercise to lose weight, but rather the right one for you is the one you will actually do. Sure some burn more calories than others, but if you don’t like them and won’t do them, or can’t because of injury, then they won’t do you any good. Some people swear by running, others by weight lifting, still others by pilates or yoga. Find one you like, find one you will do regularly, then do it. This will serve you better in the long run than trying to pick the one others say is best. I do have one recommendation though, and that is try different ones, and try them more than once. I personally find a combination of Hot Yoga combined with use of a home gym is the balance that works for me to get cardio, strength, flexibility, and muscle tone. You really only need to ensure that you are exercising, and burning calories.
But wait, you might ask, “How do I know how many calories I’m burning?” Use a simple Calorie Burn Calculator would be my answer. Search Google there are lots out there, I linked one that I found, and liked because it lists a variety of activities so you can calculate calorie burn per activity (only enter one data point) or per day (enter all activities for the day).
Food:
Now that you know how many calories you are burning, it’s time to turn to the topic of how much you consume. Now I suppose you could simply decide to eat whatever and whenever and just exercise enough to burn it off, but that isn’t a choice that most of us can or should make. What is a better approach is to ensure you eat the RIGHT foods to assist in your goals. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be bland or boring to eat healthy. That’s where The Random Chef can help.
Tips for eating right:
- Cook your own food.
- Buy whole foods vs processed food. Reduce the sugar in the foods you buy and prepare.
- When possible, buy from local farmers where the time from farm to your house is reduced. This isn’t saying your local grocery has bad food, but rather the distance the food travels to get there is important to freshness and nutrient content.
- Use Low Fat ingredients when you can. Sure not everything needs to be low fat but if it doesn’t make a difference in the taste, opt for the lower fat alternative.
- Use lean meats more often, like turkey, chicken, and fish, and when you buy meats opt for the leaner cuts.
- Supplement your diet as needed with multi-vitamins. If you feel that you need advice or don’t know what will work, consult your physician about your dietary and exercise goals so you an be sure you are doing what is right for you.
- If needed, get help through programs like Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, or Jenny Craig. Find friends or co-workers who have similar goals around weight loss. Use support groups, friends, family, anything to keep you focused on the goals.
- Realize that slipping in your diet is not only allowed, but inevitable. If you cheat or have a meal or two that isn’t aligned with your diet, it isn’t over! Just adjust your exercise up for a few days (typically I’d say increase exercise for 2-3 days for every cheat meal you eat) and start eating more cleanly again. No big deal.
When you are cooking, think about the amount of fats and sugars you are using, try to reduce or replace them. Look for recipes that are low fat, reduced calorie, or alter your current favorites to be lower in fats and sugars. You can make a huge variety of dishes with less fat and more flavor by learning about using herbs and spices vs butters and cheeses. You don’t have to remove butter or cheese from your diet, just use them sparingly to get the flavor you want.
I hope that helps put things into a bit more of an easy to handle context, and as always, let me know if you have comments or questions!
PS – Congrats to Kaitlin, on the birth of her new daughter!
