Up to this point you have been making a few changes each week and you probably have been seeing some changes in your lifestyle. You may have seen varying levels of weight-loss and have been probably feeling better. Most changes you have barely noticed, but you have begun the difficult and lengthy process of lifestyle change.
Most importantly, you have learned a lot of about your eating and exercise patterns. You know most of your weak spots and strong points. You have probably without even knowing it have already put that knowledge to use in changing your health lifestyle.
This week you will begin your more formal weight-loss efforts. I see you scowling and nodding your head saying, "I knew it. She's just like the rest. She's suckered us in and now, we can't eat anything tasty anymore and we have to live on water and unsalted soda crackers for the rest of our lives while exercising two hours a day."
No, as with everything else in the Get Real approach, you will take small steps and you will only be doing things which you can sustain over time. You will just take the information you have gained about yourself over the past three weeks to develop a plan of action for changing your lifestyle long term.
Okay, I see you are still skeptical, but keep reading.
(Note: The following section assumes you are counting calories directly. Click Here for tips on using the Get Real approach with pre-set diet plans such as Weight Watchers or Richard Simmons.)
First, you need to find your target net calorie range. This is the calorie range that you will try to maintain over on average. You won't be trying to meet this target right away, but you need to know it for future reference. Your net calorie intake during the day represents the difference between the number of calories you eat from those you expend in exercise. So, for instance, at my weight I expend about 700 calories in an hour of step aerobics. If I eat 2500 calories on a day I go to the gym, my net calorie intake for the day would be 1800 calories. If my target range for the day is 2200 calories, then I am 400 calories under so I can "bank" them for use later in the week, but we'll talk more about that later. On the other hand, if I eat 2500 calories and take a 30 minute walk (about 150 calories expended) my net would be 2450 or about 250 over my target.
Figuring your net calorie target
Here is a simple rule of thumb to figure out your net calorie target.
Sedate Lifestyle: Multiply your desired weight by 14. (Sedate means you have a job which is not physically demanding involving mostly sitting and standing such as an office job or stationary assembly line work and you don't do any significant aerobic exercise like running, skiing, calisthenics, dance, etc.) For instance, if your target weight is 135, your calorie target is 1890 calories a day. If you are unsure of what your healthy weight should be you can figure out your Body Mass Index (BMI). A healthy BMI should be between 18-25. So if you are 5'8 inches tall your ideal weight would be between 125-158. You can figure out your BMI with this BMI Calculator from the Consumer Information Center
Moderately Active: Multiply your desired weight by 17. (Moderately active means 3-4 20 minute aerobic sessions a week, or a moderately physically demanding job which requires you to do some physical work that raises your heart rate and makes you breath heavily on occasion.) Your calorie target if you are moderately active and have 135 pounds as your goal would be 2295.
Very Active: Multiply your desired weight by 20 (Very active means 5-7 aerobic sessions per week or a highly physically demanding job.) In all probability, if you fall into this category, you most likely don't have a weight problem. If you are very active then you could handle 2700 calories a day.
Now, you want to figure out a target range for your calories. You might want to go under your calorie target for the day, but you don't want to go so far under that you body goes into starvation mode. Eating too few calories can be almost as harmful to your diet plans as eating too many. When you eat significantly fewer calories than you need, your bodies metabolism slows down, you'll feel sluggish, and you won't be able to burn the calories you do eat efficiently. You will also be prone to giving up on your weight loss efforts and go on a binge which with your lowered metabolism will add on more weight than if you had not dieted at all.
A good rule of thumb is to not go more than 20 percent or 500 calories below your target rate whichever is most. So, if your target is 2500 calories then your range would be from 2000-2500 calories unless, of course, you are on a doctor's supervised diet which requires a lower calorie count.
Now, unless you are already fairly close to this target range, don't try to get there all at once. For instance, if you are current net calorie intake is 3500 calories a day and your target is 2500, step it down by 10 percent a week. So, in week four, aim for 3150 per day, then in week five go for 2800, in week six bring it down to 2500. Or If you find it difficult to make a 10 percent cut all at once, step it down by 5 percent a week. Admittedly, it will take twice as long, but it's the end result that counts.
A Trip to the Calorie Bank
Most of us when we start to watch calories begin to think in terms of daily calorie intake. If I stayed 200 calories under my target for today, I succeeded. If I went 200 calories over, I failed. But consider this. If I am trying to stay under 2500 calories a day and I eat 2300 today and 2700 tomorrow, over that 2 day period I averaged 2500 calories. I've starting thinking about my net calories in terms of an average daily net calorie intake figured out over a weeks period of time. You did this in week three. Now let me show you how you can make this way of figuring calories provide you with more flexibility and control over your weight loss program.
Let's say your net calorie intake for the day is 2500 calories. Today you eat 2650 but you went to your aerobics class and burned 500 calories so your net calorie intake for the day is 2150. You take the other 350 calories and put them in the "bank" for the week. So, if tomorrow you eat 2700 calories and do no exercise you can make a withdrawal of 200 calories from the bank to bring it back down to 2500.
Don't bank more than 10 percent or 500 calories per day. Any more than that and your body may go into "starvation mode" and slow down your metabolism sabotaging your weight loss efforts.
Now, you can't bank calories forever, so it is best to reset your bank account to zero at the end of the week.
This gives you flexibility and the ability to plan your weight loss program. For instance, you have a dinner party at your Aunt Jennifer's on Friday. Aunt Jenny makes the best food and loads down your plate with it. So, during the week bank a couple hundred calories a day so you don't have to worry at Friday's dinner party.
Exercise
You've been gradually increasing your overall level of physical activity for three weeks now. I suspect you are already feeling a bit more energy and find it easier to take a brisk walk or use the stairs instead of the elevator.
This week, create an exercise schedule. You need to start formal planned exercise. But start small. If you haven't exercised formally for some time try exercising for just 10 minutes a day. Four days a week do 8 minutes of aerobic exercise and two minutes of resistance exercise. Three day do 8 minutes of resistance and 2 minutes of aerobic.
After two or three weeks of this routine try to increase your time by two minutes per session. Add just one minute to each type of exercise. You can find information about simple exercises at this location.
If you prefer to take a class at a local gym or community center, talk to the instructor first. If you haven't worked out in some time, explain this to her or him and ask if you could only stay for part of a session to start. Most instructors will accommodate this type of request. I started out with just 15 minutes per session for the first 2-3 weeks, then increased it to 20 minutes and held it there for another 3-4 weeks and then raised it to 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and finally to the full 60 minutes. It took me about 4 months to be able to do that though increasing my session length by a little each week.
Whether you work out at home, at the gym or in a class, it's important to make it a habit. That means set an appointment with yourself and keep that appointment each time. Whether it's two days a week at the gym or every morning or evening, make exercise a habit. I know it sounds weird to you now, but you may find yourself actually looking forward to your exercise sessions. I do, and I really hated exercise.
For more information on exercise, check our our exercise section.
Beyond Week 4
From this point on, slowly reduce your net calorie intake until it reaches your target number. Then continue to do your journaling using the permanent journal sheets. Also continue to increase your exercise both in terms of time and difficulty.
Continue to make small changes in your lifestyle. Over time you will discover that you don't really think much about your diet and exercise. They will simply be part of your life like going to work or cleaning the house. Ironically, when this happens you will discover that your weight loss will be gradual, but steady until you reach your target weight. My Mom started to make small behavioral changes about 8 months ago. She went to the doctors and found out that she had lost 25 pounds. She was surprised because she hadn't even thought about it as being 'on a diet' and she has had weight problems most of her adult life. So, you can too. Gradually change your fitness lifestyle and the weight loss will follow.
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