Everyone and their dog is harping on about losing weight this time of year, and with every New Year comes a new "secret" –
"Eat these 5 things!"
"Just 10 minutes a day..."
"Don't do that; do this!"
"The top 5 exercises you NEED!"
Well, now it's my turn, and spoiler alert, it's not new. Sitting comfy? Right, here we go...
A 500-calorie deficit a day and move about a bit more than you usually do!
*Crickets chirp as a tumbleweed gently bounces by...*
Yup...that's it. That's the "big secret".
Thanks for reading and I'll see you in another post! I jest, well kind of.
Ok, so I know that doesn't sound revolutionary, and that's because it isn't. It just works.
Yup, I rolled my eyes as well when I heard it... again, for the 1000th time. Let me add a bit more though, to make the above, hopefully, a bit more palatable.
Let's consider a quick question; how do we actually achieve the 500-calorie deficit? Counting calories is again, probably not a shocking revelation, but guess what? It works.
I do however, have a very good "hack", and this may sound a bit over the top but bare with me. If you truly want to shave off calories without compromising too much on your favourite things, weigh them.
I'm sure that probably raised a few eyebrows, and perhaps scrunched a few others.
I did just say, it may sound over the top, but guess what? All together now... It works.
On most packaging now it should state the nutritional information; some may only show it per 100 grams, some by portion size. I am writing this based on the UK so this obviously may not be the case where you are.
Worry not though as there are many apps out there that you can use to scan the barcodes of products to help with all of this! My most used currently is one called Yuka.
Very useful little app and super quick to use while out shopping!
I digress... Back to the bit about portion sizes...
A great example of a lack of previous portion control, was just the other night when I went to add my normal squirt of BBQ sauce on my dinner. With a quick look at the label, I noticed the portion size was 15 grams and that was 84 calories! I put my plate on the scales, squeezed out 15 grams of sauce and very quickly realised where I could save probably over 100 calories, as I use waaaaaay more than a portion size!!
See, I'm not here to tell you to stop eating your favourite things; on the contrary, I'm here to tell you to eat a controlled amount. Weigh them!
Get to know what those calories look like and then make a choice.
Here is where I personally and quite literally, trim the fat –
Fried eggs - measure the oil (save around 50 calories)
Butter on toast – (a smaller amount or sometimes none if I'm really trying – save around 100 calories)
Coffee – black and maybe no sugar (if the coffee is good – save around 50 calories)
Sauces – measure them and save around 100 calories (in my case!).
I try and keep each meal to around 600-ish calories, then I still have a little room for snacks, but again, staying conscious of the calories.
So as you can see, I don't have to go on some crazy regime; just be mindful, and I can shave 300 kcal off without even realising it!!
This is important to note, as this is how the weight can easily pile up in the first place, with sneaky calories!
I pair this approach with my normal volume of exercise and just keep at it until I reach my goal.
With the above, I would expect to see around 1-2 lbs a week progress.
With this said, it needs to be noted that the progress will NOT be a nice simple drop every day. Mine, for example, looks more like a heartbeat going down the stairs. Sometimes I'm up a little, sometimes I'm up a lot, but over time the goal is that it's always trending down.
It's important to weigh yourself every day to understand your weight fluctuates naturally. Weighing yourself only once or twice a week can be a disaster mentally if you happen to weigh yourself on a "heavy" day.
There are many factors for these fluctuations, but the simplest one to consider is water.
Nerd time!
Carbohydrates attract water; 1 gram of carbohydrate will grab 3-4 grams of water!
So you can see, you could have perfectly calculated meals, tick all your calories, macros, fats and STILL weigh in heavier, simply because you're carrying excess water. This in turn is not a "BAD" thing, just something to remember.
Also, please... I'll say it again: please stop listening to people who are demonising carbs!! In fact, ANYONE who pushes restricted diets! Sidenote: unless they are for medical reasons...
Back to carbs and water...
So you don't need to cut out carbs; you probably just need to pee... and maybe cut back on the salt at this also can be the cause of water retention.
The subject of water retention is a vast one. I need to research more about it myself and fully encourage you to do the same; if you care about that sort of thing that is!
I think I shall end this post with a bang! Perhaps the biggest industry secret I can currently think of. Sound enticing enough? Have I built it up enough yet? Here we go...
Everyone is looking for or promoting a "shortcut", and I can tell you exactly what it is.
Ready?
Stop wasting time looking for shortcuts!!
This simple honest truth has saved me so much time and energy and given me much more focus on just doing the work.
It's not a nice, glamorous, shiny answer; it's just constant, honest, relentless progress.
Thanks for reading, and remember, just keep going; you're doing great!!
Love and high fives,
Cardiosaurus
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