In order to shed a pound a week you need to burn an additional 3500 calories. It really is that that simple! No fancy pills or powders or the latest fad diet are necessary, just a progression of calories exerted without an increase in calories consumed. Sounds easy, right? The simple law of thermodynamics.
Try the following three steps to Shed A Pound A Week:
1. Record your normal weekly exercise - look at everything from walking to participating in sports to exercising in the gym. This is your starting point. Remember, you need to burn an additional 3500 calories on top of your normal weekly exercise.
2. Record your normal weekly food intake - this may be hard to do honestly, but remember that you are only cheating yourself by not recording everything. Calculate the total number of calories that you eat in an average day.
In your quest for dropping inches you shouldn't exceed your normal daily caloric intake - you should, rather, work at slowly decreasing that number. Remember, we are going for a 3500 calorie deficit each week - this can be done by a combination of increased calorie exertion (exercise) as well as a decrease in calories consumed (eating less).
3. Chart the difference - now that you know your starting point for both calorie exertion and calorie intake it is time to turn the tables in your favor. Take every opportunity to exert more calories by increasing your physical activity, and to decrease your calorie consumption by eating fewer calories and by making healthier selections.
Record your progress in a notebook and refer back to it often. You will be surprised how encouraging it is to see the positive changes that you are taking in your life written down on paper. Keeping a food journal will also help you establish your eating behavior patterns.
If you are able to burn up 500 calories a day you will drop a pound in a week!!
Here are some practical ways to lose calories:
If you normally: Drink a Mocha or other flavored coffee drinks Try: Drinking green tea or black coffee (200 calories lost)
If you normally: Enjoy a candy bar for a snack Try: Snacking on a granola bar or granola (180 calories lost)
If you normally: Sit during your entire lunch break Try: Walking briskly for 30 minutes (150 calories lost)
If you normally: Watch T.V. for two hours Try: Doing jumping jacks during the commercials (120 calories lost)
Losing weight is based on a simple rule: burn more calories than what you're eating. A 3,500 calorie deficit is enough to lose you a pound. Burning 500 more calories than you consume daily totals to 3,500 calories burned in a week - that's losing one pound in just one week! So choose well the food you're eating and exercise some more to keep shedding off those pounds.
Healthy breakfast
Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Skip the syrups and butter. A good breakfast choice would be whole grain cereals. Need your coffee fix? Use non-fat milk on your latte and save up to 250 calories.
A balanced mix
Diet doesn't mean bland food day in and day out - you can't sustain it. A better alternative is a healthy balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Allow yourself the food you used to eat but always be mindful of the calories you're consuming.
Going Italian?
Avoid white pasta and have the fiber and protein-rich wheat pasta instead. Also choose the red sauce over the all-too fattening white and save 200 calories; save more by leaving the meat out as well.
Good oils
Our body needs oil to function but make sure you're only getting oils that have essential fatty acids Omega 3, 6, or 9. Olive oil is best because it's also 100% natural. Other than that, fried foods should be avoided because the food absorbs the fat of frying oil.
Snack limits
Snacking randomly makes it difficult to keep track of the calories. Plan your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks and make sure at least one is healthy. Replace fatty snacks with vegetables and replace sugary snacks with fruits.
Water is better
Your body needs water to function at its optimum level. Depriving yourself of water will only tell your body to retain more of it, thus adding to the "water weight". Sodas and alcohols should never replace water and should be avoided when you're on a diet. An alternative to the sweet sodas are flavorless carbonated drinks.
Start slow
Yes, you need to exercise, but no, you don't have to overdo it. Your body needs time to adjust so start with 15 to 20 minutes of light workout. Step up your daily physical activities by walking farther and using the stairs more often. Having sex is also a great exercise, fifteen minutes of it burns 150 calories.
Watch your weight
Keep track of how much weight you're losing. You should shed at least one pound a week; less than that should tell you that you need to push yourself harder.
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Both Machelle Lee & Roger are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Machelle Lee has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Anger Control and Health. Machelle Lee owns and operates The Invisible Gym in Santa Cruz, CA. Her mission is to inspire people to become physically active and enjoy the benefits of a balanced, healthy lifestyle. For more information and questions you can visit her website.. Machelle Lee's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.
Roger has sinced written about articles on various topics from Allergies, Fitness and Affiliate Programs. Are you facing Weight Loss Problems? Don't worry, visit my site at for a comprehensive review of. Roger's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.