I know that I am influenced by many things that my friends do. It is that old "peer pressure" tactic. I am not sure, in some ways, that we ever outgrow it. A groundbreaking new study recently gave me some information to think about.
While there are already many factors that contribute to weight gain including less activity as we age, our "drive through" society and our love of alcohol and fast food, we can now add our friends to that list!!! The study found that when a sibling gained weight, the study participants' risk of weight gain was 40% higher and similarly the risk was 37% higher when a spouse gained weight. However, our friends are overwhelmingly the biggest influence on our weight gain from a social standpoint. The study indicates that when a friend gained weight, the risk of the participant gaining was increased by 57%...and a staggering 71% if the friend was the same gender! When we see our friends gaining weight, we are more accepting and eventually even conform and gain with them. It's the old "keeping up with the Jones" idea.
I would like to challenge you to make the opposite impact on your group of friends. If we all want to conform and do what our friends are doing (for whatever reason...to be cool or accepted...yep, we still deal with that stuff as adults!) then why not be the leader of the pack? Be the one that your group of friends wants to pattern themselves after. If our friends can make us fat, then why can't we make our friends lean? I would be the first to say that this is possible. After undergoing a year of transition in my life with workouts and diet, I KNOW that you can influence your group of friends in a positive way. I have friends who email me regularly now with successes in workouts, clean eating consistency and all sorts of small changes they are making to move in the right direction. "I am not going to have alcohol all week, only on the weekend"; "I am including protein with all my meals and snacks now"; "I switched from granola to oatmeal for breakfast" are all comments that I have gotten from my group of friends over the past few months.
So...let's prompt a new study from the medical community about a turn around in the obesity epidemic and making our friends lean! I would love to see the Tweightloss group be the first to get the study going!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Five Ways to Round Out Your Fitness Program
We are well into our Tweightloss Journey and it gets hard to stay committed sometimes. I think the biggest thing for me is remembering that this is a lifelong journey, not just something I am doing for a few short weeks. I recently spent a few days away in the beauty of nature with some dear friends who happen to be 25 years or so older than me. These folks have the right idea of fitness. It is about moderation in everything and staying active! I was so impressed by them that it really got me thinking about ways to keep myself (and you guys!) on track, not just for now but for a lifetime!
Here are five great ways to round out your program:
- Plan ahead! I can’t emphasize this point enough. Not being well prepared is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. It leads to tempting situations that you don’t need to face. If you are heading out for errands, a ballgame, grocery shopping or any other activity, eat a snack before you go and take another snack with you to have after the activity. This will keep you from getting famished to the point you are ready to eat anything in sight! Having an apple or small salad before going out to dinner will help keep you from overeating. And packing your lunch and snacks the night before insures that you have a healthy meal ready to go and you won’t be tempted by the vending machines and fast food!
- Incorporate cardio exercise. Cardiovascular exercise is an important component to your complete fitness program. It strengthens your heart, helps reduce stress and is a great way to burn fat. Find time to fit cardio into your workout routine 3-4 times per week and you will find yourself with more energy and less stress…and hopefully less fat too!
- Think about nutrition and eat clean. Everything you do each day is a choice. And that certainly applies to what you put in your body for fuel. It is up to you whether you choose the double cheeseburger or grilled chicken salad and whether you get fries or go for an apple instead. By really thinking about these decisions as you face them, you will be able to ask yourself “what is the best fuel to help me stay healthy, feel good and reach my fitness goals”. That simple question goes a long way in helping you stay on track!
- Control your stress level. Much research has been done on the effects of stress on the body. One of the most recent findings is how stress affects weight gain. Not only does it lead to increased weight gain, but it puts you at unnecessary risk for other illness and disease, such as an increased risk for heart attack/heart disease. Practice ways to control your stress whether it is through meditation, journaling, or getting a regular massage. The payoff is worth the effort involved!
- Commit to a healthy lifestyle. This isn’t a fad diet or the latest trend in workouts. You are committing to a life time of healthy eating and keeping your body in the best shape possible. You only get one body and it is up to you…you have all the tools to make the right choices to stay healthy, have more energy and feel great every day…for the rest of your long, long life!
Stay stong gang!!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Can You Be "Fat" and Fit?
A wise man once told me that if I started a blog on something I was passionate about, I would never have trouble thinking of things to blog about...and he was right! It seems that there are TOO many things I want to blog about and I have a hard time choosing which topic to write about.
However, today's topic is a real hot button for me. As a matter of fact, I was just connecting with a member of the Twinners Tweightloss team about this very thing. She was feeling frustrated that the scale hadn't moved (or had moved in the wrong direction) but she has been working out more than ever, feeling more fit and accomplishing goals that she hadn't in the past, like running longer distances!
In the same respect, my current lifting partner feels like she is in the same boat. She weighs a little more than she would like to, but let me tell you, this girl is a machine!! She works out most days of the week and sometimes twice a day. She can kick my tail in just about any exercise or class that we try (and I am the personal trainer here!!).
So yesterday I was skimming the headlines and the first thing that caught my eye was this headline - "Half of overweight adults may be heart-healthy". This is another hot button for me. Healthy vs. "the look". Some of you know that my husband suffered a heart attack 4 years ago at the age of 43. (Thank God he is still here with me and doing great today but it was the scariest day of my life!) To look at him, he was HEALTHY. He was FIT. He was NOT overweight.
We are WAY too hung up on "the look"; how we think we should look, the size we should be to be beautiful and on and on. Another headline that caught my eye was 'Cute' girl forced to mime at Olympics ceremony after China banned seven-year-old with crooked teeth". What are we thinking here? What sort of message is that sending? It is more important to LOOK good than be HEALTHY? It is more important that you are CUTE than to share your TALENT with the world?
So to those of you who are out there getting frustrated that the weight on the scale isn't coming down or that your pants size is staying the same, think for a few moments about the numbers that REALLY matter. Your blood pressure, your cholesterol, how many minutes you can do cardio exercise, how many times a week you exercise. Those, my friends, are the numbers that matter.
Keep on "keepin on"!
However, today's topic is a real hot button for me. As a matter of fact, I was just connecting with a member of the Twinners Tweightloss team about this very thing. She was feeling frustrated that the scale hadn't moved (or had moved in the wrong direction) but she has been working out more than ever, feeling more fit and accomplishing goals that she hadn't in the past, like running longer distances!
In the same respect, my current lifting partner feels like she is in the same boat. She weighs a little more than she would like to, but let me tell you, this girl is a machine!! She works out most days of the week and sometimes twice a day. She can kick my tail in just about any exercise or class that we try (and I am the personal trainer here!!).
So yesterday I was skimming the headlines and the first thing that caught my eye was this headline - "Half of overweight adults may be heart-healthy". This is another hot button for me. Healthy vs. "the look". Some of you know that my husband suffered a heart attack 4 years ago at the age of 43. (Thank God he is still here with me and doing great today but it was the scariest day of my life!) To look at him, he was HEALTHY. He was FIT. He was NOT overweight.
We are WAY too hung up on "the look"; how we think we should look, the size we should be to be beautiful and on and on. Another headline that caught my eye was 'Cute' girl forced to mime at Olympics ceremony after China banned seven-year-old with crooked teeth". What are we thinking here? What sort of message is that sending? It is more important to LOOK good than be HEALTHY? It is more important that you are CUTE than to share your TALENT with the world?
So to those of you who are out there getting frustrated that the weight on the scale isn't coming down or that your pants size is staying the same, think for a few moments about the numbers that REALLY matter. Your blood pressure, your cholesterol, how many minutes you can do cardio exercise, how many times a week you exercise. Those, my friends, are the numbers that matter.
Keep on "keepin on"!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Benefits of Weight Training
I think in order to really get your fitness program firing on all cylinders you need to have a balance of cardio, weight training and clean eating. I talked about cardio and training within your target heart rate zone in a previous post. Now I want to explore weight training. I don't mean "power lifting-bulking up" kind of weight training. (Most women don't even have the genetics to bulk up naturally!) I want to talk about a weight training program to enhance your life and help with every day tasks.
Many people who start a weight training program feel changes immediately in terms of balance, coordination and strength. In the first few weeks of lifting, many of these changes come about because we gain skills in the new activity. During this time the nervous system also encounters a change that helps us use the muscles that were inactive before we started a weight training program. Physical changes start in the muscle after about six weeks. This is called hypertrophy or an increase in the size of the muscle. A major benefit of weight training is that it keeps the muscles from atrophying, or shrinking. It is true, if you don’t use it, you lose it and weight training benefits everyone by helping with everyday tasks such as carrying groceries to the car, lifting a toddler, or even just walking and bending over to get the paper out of the driveway. Increased strength through weight training is also important to bone health. Keeping bones strong and healthy is very important so we don't end up with osteoporosis or weak bones that can lead to injuries and fractures.
Dictionary.com defines physiology as the branch of biology dealing with the functions and activities or living organisms and their parts, including all physical and chemical processes. There are also physiological benefits of weight training. Not only does weight training help muscles grow stronger, it also increases the ability for them to recover from the stress of every day life. Deterioration of physical fitness associated with aging may also be reduced by a regular weight training program. Increased metabolic rate, reduction in resting blood pressure, decreased risk for Type 2 Diabetes, positive changes in blood lipid profiles and improved posture are just a few of these benefits. Increased self esteem, personal physical independence and enhanced physical activity experiences are other benefits that come with a consistent program of weight training. Weight loss and maintenance due to increased metabolism and calorie burns are also great benefits that motivate many of us to continue their weight training program.
From a mental standpoint, anyone who has participated in a consistent weight lifting program for an extended period (or even a short period) of time can certainly list the mental benefits. Increased strength leads to more self confidence and more self confidence leads to greater success in all areas of life. In addition, as changes start to occur to physical appearance, self esteem is gained. As with gains in self confidence, increased self esteem allows us to reach out and try things we may not have done in the past. Another mental benefit is simply the clear mind and increased energy level that is achieved after a weight training session. While it is true that many of us work out for the physical benefits (weight loss, more muscle definition, increased strength), some of us simply enjoy the fact that we feel better and have more energy to live and enjoy life as a result of a consistent resistance training program. And after all, isn’t living a longer, happier, healthier life what it is all about?!
I hope everyone on The Twinners had a great week and that we are all ready for weigh in day tomorrow. Good luck team!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Somtimes You Just Gotta Go For It!
Week #2 of the Tweightloss Challenge has been a little tougher for me than week one, if you can believe that. My workouts are great and my eating has been pretty clean and healthy. But, last night my husband and I had an invitation to a pre-paid wine tasting and dinner. Those of you who know me, know that I love wine...and good food. So, as I was making the most important decisions of the night (what to wear, what jewelry to pair with the outfit, etc.!) I started to think about my game plan for what I would eat, what I would ask to be boxed, etc.
The more I thought about it, the more I decided that sometimes you just have to truly live life and enjoy the experience of whatever opportunity is presented to you. We arrived at the dinner and were joined by about 35 others for this invitation only event. As I picked up the Peach Bellini and a chunk of imported cheese for starters, I smiled inside (and out) knowing that I had worked hard for this moment and I was going to savor and enjoy every bite of every course and every sip of wine from the Chardonnay to the Port with dessert.
And I did....and I believe I am still on track to lose a pound or so this week. :-)
The more I thought about it, the more I decided that sometimes you just have to truly live life and enjoy the experience of whatever opportunity is presented to you. We arrived at the dinner and were joined by about 35 others for this invitation only event. As I picked up the Peach Bellini and a chunk of imported cheese for starters, I smiled inside (and out) knowing that I had worked hard for this moment and I was going to savor and enjoy every bite of every course and every sip of wine from the Chardonnay to the Port with dessert.
And I did....and I believe I am still on track to lose a pound or so this week. :-)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Short on Time? Still Get Your Workout In!
Time is precious! The older I get, the more precious it becomes to me because the less of it I seem to have. Some days getting a workout in seems almost impossible. I often convince myself that if I don't have my full 30-60 minutes to exercise, why bother? Well, you can still get a great workout in a short amount of time with minimal equipment.
Whether you are a busy Mom trying to fit a workout in while your kids sleep or a business person on the go, this plan is for you.
To get the most out of your cardio in a short amount of time with minimal equipment, invest in a jump rope. There are a lot of misconceptions about jumping rope, the biggest one being that it is high impact. In fact, it actually produces less force than running and can also build endurance. Choose a plastic speed rope that is either adjustable or sized to your height. It is best to jump on even surfaces, like wooden floors, if you can. Jumping rope will boost bone density, tone your arms and legs and improve coordination, agility and balance.
As far as resistance training on the go or even at home when you can't get to the gym, the only thing you will need is a resistance band. Bands are an inexpensive, luggage-friendly, versatile way of adding resistance to your workout. While Oxygen Magazine advertises a lot of supplements and is a bit over the top in most areas of weight training, they do offer some good resistance band exercises. You can also use your band to do: bent over rows (back), stiff legged dead lifts (hamstrings) squats (quads, glutes), biceps curl (biceps), and lateral raise (shoulders). For most exercises, you can simply place the center of the band under your feet for resistance.
Another good at home/quick tool is a stability ball. You can do some great ab, back and hamstring work with one of these. Most come with an instruction booklet showing a variety of exercises.
So (at least from team Twinners!) I don't expect to hear any excuses about not getting your workouts in. Get moving and let's make it a great week!
Whether you are a busy Mom trying to fit a workout in while your kids sleep or a business person on the go, this plan is for you.
To get the most out of your cardio in a short amount of time with minimal equipment, invest in a jump rope. There are a lot of misconceptions about jumping rope, the biggest one being that it is high impact. In fact, it actually produces less force than running and can also build endurance. Choose a plastic speed rope that is either adjustable or sized to your height. It is best to jump on even surfaces, like wooden floors, if you can. Jumping rope will boost bone density, tone your arms and legs and improve coordination, agility and balance.
As far as resistance training on the go or even at home when you can't get to the gym, the only thing you will need is a resistance band. Bands are an inexpensive, luggage-friendly, versatile way of adding resistance to your workout. While Oxygen Magazine advertises a lot of supplements and is a bit over the top in most areas of weight training, they do offer some good resistance band exercises. You can also use your band to do: bent over rows (back), stiff legged dead lifts (hamstrings) squats (quads, glutes), biceps curl (biceps), and lateral raise (shoulders). For most exercises, you can simply place the center of the band under your feet for resistance.
Another good at home/quick tool is a stability ball. You can do some great ab, back and hamstring work with one of these. Most come with an instruction booklet showing a variety of exercises.
So (at least from team Twinners!) I don't expect to hear any excuses about not getting your workouts in. Get moving and let's make it a great week!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Work Smarter, Not Harder
First of all let me say congratulations to Team Super Stars and all of the Tweightloss folks for a great first week! We lost a total of 116.1 pounds this week between 81 people!!! That is amazing!
Some of you have been asking me about heart rate training, target heart rate, wearing a heart rate monitor....etc. So, I wanted to give you my two cents about heart rate training. I always wear a heart rate monitor when training. It keeps me in tune with my body and helps me get the most out of my cardio workouts.
Most of us approach cardio exercise in one of two ways. We are either moving so slowly that we don’t elevate our heart rate much at all or we go at all out intensity and work too hard, moving our heart rate out of the maximum fat burning range. There are 3 types of fuel that we can burn when exercising; carbohydrates, fat or lean mass. Most of us prefer to burn fat. After all, one of the main reasons that most people work out is to lose weight and/or reduce body fat.
By working smarter, not harder, you can increase the amount of calories from fat that you burn during a workout. The more intense the exercise the more overall calories you are going to burn. You will also burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. But the kicker is that the higher the intensity, the less number of calories that are coming from fat. The trick is to find a happy medium where you are working hard enough to elevate your heart rate and burn fat while keeping the intensity low enough that you continue to burn fat and not begin to use your lean mass as fuel.
You also want to make sure that you are working hard enough to build a cardiovascular base and increase your fitness level.
One way to make sure you are working in the proper zone is by obtaining a measurement of your VO2 max. This is the amount of oxygen that you are able to consume per minute per kilogram of body weight. The more oxygen you can consume the heavier workload you are able to perform. This test will provide you with the proper training heart rate zones for your age, weight, height and sex.
Whether or not you have your VO2 measured, another good idea is to wear a heart rate monitor during cardio exercise. This lets you see precisely what your heart rate is during exercise. (If you have a VO2 max test, then you will know what your appropriate heart rate zone is for achieving maximum fat burn while still working to increase your overall fitness level.) Many heart rate monitors allow you to program your training zones so that you are easily able to stay in your zones while working out.
Many people are surprised at the low intensity that is required for maximum fat burning. If you are only interested in overall calorie burn then higher intensity exercise is great. It is also good, no matter what your goal, to crank up the intensity at least once a week to maintain your fitness level and possibly even improve it.
Cardio exercise is a key component to a well rounded fitness program and it will only enhance the results that you will see from consistent weight training. If you can get all pieces of the program firing at once, you will reach your goals in what seems like no time at all and you’ll do it by working smarter, not harder! That is music to my ears!
More on the benefits of weight training to come...
Some of you have been asking me about heart rate training, target heart rate, wearing a heart rate monitor....etc. So, I wanted to give you my two cents about heart rate training. I always wear a heart rate monitor when training. It keeps me in tune with my body and helps me get the most out of my cardio workouts.
Most of us approach cardio exercise in one of two ways. We are either moving so slowly that we don’t elevate our heart rate much at all or we go at all out intensity and work too hard, moving our heart rate out of the maximum fat burning range. There are 3 types of fuel that we can burn when exercising; carbohydrates, fat or lean mass. Most of us prefer to burn fat. After all, one of the main reasons that most people work out is to lose weight and/or reduce body fat.
By working smarter, not harder, you can increase the amount of calories from fat that you burn during a workout. The more intense the exercise the more overall calories you are going to burn. You will also burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. But the kicker is that the higher the intensity, the less number of calories that are coming from fat. The trick is to find a happy medium where you are working hard enough to elevate your heart rate and burn fat while keeping the intensity low enough that you continue to burn fat and not begin to use your lean mass as fuel.
You also want to make sure that you are working hard enough to build a cardiovascular base and increase your fitness level.
One way to make sure you are working in the proper zone is by obtaining a measurement of your VO2 max. This is the amount of oxygen that you are able to consume per minute per kilogram of body weight. The more oxygen you can consume the heavier workload you are able to perform. This test will provide you with the proper training heart rate zones for your age, weight, height and sex.
Whether or not you have your VO2 measured, another good idea is to wear a heart rate monitor during cardio exercise. This lets you see precisely what your heart rate is during exercise. (If you have a VO2 max test, then you will know what your appropriate heart rate zone is for achieving maximum fat burn while still working to increase your overall fitness level.) Many heart rate monitors allow you to program your training zones so that you are easily able to stay in your zones while working out.
Many people are surprised at the low intensity that is required for maximum fat burning. If you are only interested in overall calorie burn then higher intensity exercise is great. It is also good, no matter what your goal, to crank up the intensity at least once a week to maintain your fitness level and possibly even improve it.
Cardio exercise is a key component to a well rounded fitness program and it will only enhance the results that you will see from consistent weight training. If you can get all pieces of the program firing at once, you will reach your goals in what seems like no time at all and you’ll do it by working smarter, not harder! That is music to my ears!
More on the benefits of weight training to come...
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Everything in Moderation
I knew when I started this blog that I was going to learn things from my team, The Twinners. The biggest thing I struggle with in regard to losing weight and just about anything else in my life is moderation. I am an "all or nothing" kind of girl. I am better off not even tasting the brownies or taking a sip of that wine because once I taste it, I want more!
So, earlier this week, I was busting one of my team members out for having something that I thought should not be part of a healthy weight loss program. However, she quickly reminded me that everything can be part of a healthy diet in moderation. Of course, I know this. In all of my coursework to become a certified personal trainer, I read all about it. Heck, even Liz Applegate says it is OK to have a little chocolate and red wine everyday. The key here is a little.
So last night we had a summer party at a friend's house. I love this annual event, but I know that the buffet is full of yummy treats that aren't so healthy and the tubs of ice are full of my favorite beverages. So...as I headed to the buffet line, my Tweightloss team, The Twinners, came to mind! I thought of the "everything in moderation" tweet that one of my team members had put out, and instead of my usual grazing on appetizers and overdoing it on desserts that I would typically do, I decided to try this moderation tactic. And would you believe...it worked!! I didn't feel deprived, had two of my favorite beverages (lite, of course) and NO desserts! I didn't go back for seconds, didn't stand at the table having a bite of this or a dip of that. I had a small sample of all the things I wanted to try and that was it.
So, thanks to my team, The Twinners for keeping me motivated and helping me learn that I really can have anything...in moderation! Even though I am the team "leader", you guys are teaching me too!
So, earlier this week, I was busting one of my team members out for having something that I thought should not be part of a healthy weight loss program. However, she quickly reminded me that everything can be part of a healthy diet in moderation. Of course, I know this. In all of my coursework to become a certified personal trainer, I read all about it. Heck, even Liz Applegate says it is OK to have a little chocolate and red wine everyday. The key here is a little.
So last night we had a summer party at a friend's house. I love this annual event, but I know that the buffet is full of yummy treats that aren't so healthy and the tubs of ice are full of my favorite beverages. So...as I headed to the buffet line, my Tweightloss team, The Twinners, came to mind! I thought of the "everything in moderation" tweet that one of my team members had put out, and instead of my usual grazing on appetizers and overdoing it on desserts that I would typically do, I decided to try this moderation tactic. And would you believe...it worked!! I didn't feel deprived, had two of my favorite beverages (lite, of course) and NO desserts! I didn't go back for seconds, didn't stand at the table having a bite of this or a dip of that. I had a small sample of all the things I wanted to try and that was it.
So, thanks to my team, The Twinners for keeping me motivated and helping me learn that I really can have anything...in moderation! Even though I am the team "leader", you guys are teaching me too!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
How Many Calories a Day SHOULD You Be Eating??
One question that I get from almost everyone I work with is "how many calories should I eat a day if I want to lose weight"? Well the answer is simple and not so simple.
From the simple side of things, since we know a pound is 3500 calories, if you want to lose a pound a week, you need to have a 3500 calorie deficit at the end of the week. The easiest way to do this is to aim for a 500 calorie deficit per day. That means you will need to burn 500 more calories than you consume each day.
So how do you calculate all of this? And how do you know how many calories YOU should have vs. someone else? The easiest formula to calculate your basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories your body needs to function and maintain your current weight, is to multiply your weight x 10. (If you weigh 180, then you need ~1800 a day to maintain your current weight.) However this calculation doesn't take into account exercise or your lifestyle/activity level.
In addition, the other challenging factor is that basal metabolic rate is not "one size fits all". So even if two people both weigh 180 pounds, that doesn't mean that both people burn calories at the same rate. Genetics or certain lifestyle habits (yo-yo dieting for example) can lower your metabolism, or the rate at which you burn calories. The most accurate way to know how many calories a day you are burning, is to have your resting metabolism measured by a professional facility. If you don't have the time, money or access to a facility that does this sort of testing, you can certainly use the formula listed above to get a general idea.
So, to complete the previous example, if you weigh 180 pounds and want to maintain your weight, you should eat 1800 calories a day. If you want to lose one pound a week, you will either want to eat 1300 calories a day OR (my personal recommendation) you will want to eat 1600 calories a day and complete enough exercise to burn 300 calories a day. Both will give you a 500 calorie deficit each day for a 3500 calorie deficit at the end of the week equaling a one pound loss!
And just a side note...if your weight is low enough that a 500 calorie deficit for the day drops you below eating 1200 calories....don't do it! This will simply send your body into starvation mode and it will store the calories you do eat. In this case, you will want to include enough exercise to equal the calorie deficit rather than cutting calories.
I know this is lots of information to take in and I hope it all makes sense. If you are still struggling with your daily caloric intake or anything mentioned in this post, leave me a comment and we'll get you on the right track!!
From the simple side of things, since we know a pound is 3500 calories, if you want to lose a pound a week, you need to have a 3500 calorie deficit at the end of the week. The easiest way to do this is to aim for a 500 calorie deficit per day. That means you will need to burn 500 more calories than you consume each day.
So how do you calculate all of this? And how do you know how many calories YOU should have vs. someone else? The easiest formula to calculate your basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories your body needs to function and maintain your current weight, is to multiply your weight x 10. (If you weigh 180, then you need ~1800 a day to maintain your current weight.) However this calculation doesn't take into account exercise or your lifestyle/activity level.
In addition, the other challenging factor is that basal metabolic rate is not "one size fits all". So even if two people both weigh 180 pounds, that doesn't mean that both people burn calories at the same rate. Genetics or certain lifestyle habits (yo-yo dieting for example) can lower your metabolism, or the rate at which you burn calories. The most accurate way to know how many calories a day you are burning, is to have your resting metabolism measured by a professional facility. If you don't have the time, money or access to a facility that does this sort of testing, you can certainly use the formula listed above to get a general idea.
So, to complete the previous example, if you weigh 180 pounds and want to maintain your weight, you should eat 1800 calories a day. If you want to lose one pound a week, you will either want to eat 1300 calories a day OR (my personal recommendation) you will want to eat 1600 calories a day and complete enough exercise to burn 300 calories a day. Both will give you a 500 calorie deficit each day for a 3500 calorie deficit at the end of the week equaling a one pound loss!
And just a side note...if your weight is low enough that a 500 calorie deficit for the day drops you below eating 1200 calories....don't do it! This will simply send your body into starvation mode and it will store the calories you do eat. In this case, you will want to include enough exercise to equal the calorie deficit rather than cutting calories.
I know this is lots of information to take in and I hope it all makes sense. If you are still struggling with your daily caloric intake or anything mentioned in this post, leave me a comment and we'll get you on the right track!!
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