Losing weight at all costs will not make you happy. How do you set the right goal and achieve the parameters you want without compromising your health? We answer the most popular questions.
1. How do you calculate your calorie intake?
When calculating your daily calorie intake, you should understand that individual calorie intake is influenced by more factors than can be calculated by a simple formula. Ideally, it is a good idea to first have a bioimpedance measurement to determine the composition of water, fat and muscle tissue in the body. This study is very useful over time to know exactly which component of body composition you are losing weight on and to avoid losing muscle mass instead of fat.
But not everyone wants to go to a specialist, so nutritionists advise the Mifflin-San Jor formula for roughly calculating individual energy requirements:
- men: (10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) + 5) x SA;
- women: (10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) – 161) x EA.
EA is the coefficient of physical activity:
- For minimal activity (sedentary work), EA = 1.2.
- For light (1-2 short workouts per week or walking), EA = 1.375.
- Moderate (3-4 workouts per week), CA = 1.55.
- High (up to 5 times a week for more than one hour), CA = 1.725.
This formula is used to calculate an average daily calorie requirement. It is important to recalculate it periodically, as weight changes. Especially when losing weight. Every 5 kilos gained is a reason to recalculate, as is your next birthday. But remember that after the age of 35, your metabolism slows down, and you should subtract another 100 kcal from your weight allowance.
There are other formulas for calculating energy requirements, such as the Harris-Benedict formula. In recent years, there have been various gadgets that allow you to determine your energy expenditure for each type of physical activity. You can use any of these methods. The key is to base your diet on your individual energy needs.
2. At what pace should you exercise?
First determine how much you actually consume and expend per day. Do the math honestly. No one will know this. But factor in every berry and biscuit. It’s important to understand what the real numbers are. Get a scale, download a mobile app (there are lots of them, and they’re handy), measure the distance travelled and the time of physical activity. Even sleeping requires a certain amount of energy. Write it all down. About a week of meticulous recording will give you an idea of your average daily calorie intake. Then compare it with the norm and take action. It is best to cut back by 100 kcal per week. That is, you should reduce your normal daily diet by 100 kcal and live that way for a week. Then minus 100 again, and again for a week. It is important to maintain your activity level. Such regime is psychologically comfortable for you, and physiologically convenient for your body. And then everything depends on the difference between your norm and your actual intake.
3. How do you set a long-term goal?
You need strong emotional motivation. New jeans, a picture of yourself slim, dreams of the beach, to be honest, do not always work with everyone. When you live for the long term, it’s easier to set yourself up for results and keep them. Set a goal of not struggling with weight. So that the words “kilos” and “scales” don’t become a major irritant after just one month. Agree with yourself that you are not getting rid of, but gaining. By balancing your diet and keeping fit, you’ll maintain your health and your mood. And your body parameters will come back to normal as a side effect. Try to look at the whole process from a different perspective – you are not restricting your body, but replenishing all your needs and eating within limits. Therefore there should be no more physiological hunger. All the other disguised sensations are just tricks of the brain to get quick pleasure, but after enduring this for a while, you will realise that you are no longer dependent on such emotional fluctuations.