One of the things I have been thinking about is “realistic expectations.”
What are realistic expectations when it comes to weight loss, or more importantly fat loss? In reality, you can safely lose about 1-2 lbs of fat per week!!!! I emphasize this as TV shows make it seem normal for you to lose 10 lbs per week. Far from it!!
Most people do not gain 10 lbs in a week, and it would be unrealistic for you to believe you could lose the same!! So…..don’t even try!
For the purpose of this discussion, let’s rule out the medical conditions that could cause such a gain. Instead, we will focus on you, me and the average-normal person.
Whatever that means!! LOL
Let’s get down to the facts. A pound of fat has 3500 calories. So, to lose a pound of fat, you must burn that amount above what you consume.
For example, if we burn 3500 calories more than what we consume in a week , we would lose 1 pound for that week.
Let’s break this down over the week; this means we need to reduce our caloric intake by 500 calories a day to meet this 3500 caloric deficit.
The negative balance can come from several things. The first is exercise; for example, you can run, walk, workout, etc. and burn an extra 250 calories a day.
The next is your nutritional intake…. You can do this by eating 250 fewer calories for the day. The combination means we have utilized 500 calories less than we “need” to maintain homeostasis for that day. Keep this up for 7 days, and “WHALAAA” we are down a pound. Whooohooo!
This is the nuts and bolts of weight loss!
Try not to complicate such a simple thing, and be realistic!!! To lose 10 lbs of fat, you need to reduce your caloric intake by 35000 calories!!! This, for most would be impossible over a week. So, now do you understand?
So many people ask me why they gain 3 pounds overnight. Remember that is not true fat. That can come from many things such as increased sodium, water retention, premenstrual cycle, etc.
So…be realistic when setting goals. A pound a week is not only doable, but healthy as well. Most people wanting to lose weight can do so in a healthy manner if they set realistic expectations.
Remember we didn’t get out of shape in a month and it would be unrealistic to believe we could get into shape in that amount of time. Set realistic goals.
Nancy is a Certified Clinical Weight Loss Practitioner and Personal trainer of over three decades who has coached thousands of people to achieve optimal health and fitness with personal training and tailored nutrition. Nancy’s passion for fitness has led her to an incredible, rewarding and diverse career in the international fitness, media and modeling industry, landing various magazine covers and features in publications like Oxygen, Muscle & Fitness Hers Optimyze and Iron Man. As an expert women’s health coach, she has inspired and transformed thousands of women to be fit, confident and the best version of themselves no matter their age. Connect with Nancy on Facebook, Instagram , Twitter and Youtube.
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