Since the start of the year, I’ve helped clients successfully lose 10-20 pounds of fat by providing a very basic but effective calorie plan. The plan uses a simple formula utilized by most bodybuilders during cutting phases and is substantiated in this article from Harvard Medical School (Link).
As A Chicago In Home Personal Trainer, I’m going to share my Calorie Plan for Weight Loss with you in hopes that you can use it to jump start your own weight loss.
1st Caveat: It’s always best to consult a doctor before starting any diet or nutrition plan, and I highly recommend you do so out of an abundance of caution. This is merely the plan I use and it works for me. Of course, nobody is obligated to do so. You decide what is best for you.
2nd Caveat: To make sure we’re losing fat and not muscle, it is highly recommended to strength train 2-3 times per week during any weight loss phase in order to maintain muscle mass.
THE CALORIE PLAN - PART 1, SUSTAIN YOUR WEIGHT
First things first, WEIGHT LOSS. IS. MATH. To sustainably lose weight and keep it off, the human body must burn more calories than it consumes. This is called a caloric deficit.
But, how do we know how many calories we need to consume in the first place?
Here’s the formula, using myself as the data point.
I currently weigh 153 pounds. To calculate how many calories I would need to eat every day to sustain my current weight, I multiply 153 by 15 (the number of calories needed to sustain 1 pound of weight).
153 x 15 = 2295
I would need to eat 2295 calories per day to sustain my weight. Sounds good to me, I love food!
But, what if I wanted to lose a little weight?
PART 2 - WEIGHT LOSS, 1 POUND PER WEEK
The healthiest way to lose weight is slowly, preferably 1-2 pounds per week over a 12 week dieting phase at the end of which you should lose between 12-24 pounds of fat. To lose 1 pound per week, I need to create a caloric deficit.
1 pound is roughly 3500 calories. To lose that in a week (7 days) I divide 3500 by 7.
3500 / 7 = 500.
I need to have a 500 calorie deficit every day. Which means, I take my sustainable calorie limit and subtract 500.
2295 - 500 = 1795.
I need to eat 1795 calories or less per day to lose 1 pound per week.
PART 3 - WEIGHT LOSS, 2 POUNDS PER WEEK
For those who live in larger bodies and need to lose substantial amounts of weight for extreme health reasons, 500 calories might not be enough. To consistently lose 2+ pounds per week, we simply double our caloric deficit from 500 - 1000.
2295 - 1000 = 1295.
3rd Caveat: A 1000 calorie per day deficit is extreme. I do not recommend it to any of my clients as I don’t want them feeling weak, fatigued, or dizzy. Definitely consult a doctor if you feel you want to attempt this deficit.
CONCLUSION
You now have the formula you need to lose at least 1-2 pounds of fat per week. I highly recommend logging everything you eat (either by notes or tracking with the MyFitnessPal Free App) to make sure you stay within your caloric limit.
I also highly recommend drinking 60-100 oz of water per day, walking 8-12k steps per day, and getting minimum 6-8 hours of sleep every night as part of a healthy lifestyle.
This plan and 2-3 dedicated strength training sessions per week have allowed myself and my clients to lose weight and keep it off. For more fitness tips, check out my other blog posts or book a free consultation with the link below!
Comments