What You Need to Know
You get a daily calorie budget. Fats are the most "expensive" at nine calories per gram. Carbs and proteins are four calories per gram. As a quickie guide to determining your calorie budget, figure 10 calories per pound for women and 11 calories per pound for men. Then multiply that number by your activity level (sedentary = 1.2, lightly active = 1.35, moderately active = 1.5, very active = 1.65, extremely active = 2.0).
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Reduce your calorie budget to lose weight. Know the cost of a calorie and shop wisely, because every 40 calories you take in over your calorie budget will require 10 minutes of walking to burn off.
3. Eat a ton of vegetables.
Why?
While diet book authors and nutrition experts can't agree on much, what they can agree on is that eating vegetables is a great diet and health strategy. They are nature's ultimate gift: incredibly low in calories and high in nutrients. What more can you ask for?
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What You Need to Know
Take a look at the following comparison: 100 grams, or 3.57 oz., of broccoli is only 34 calories, while a 100-gram, or 3.57-oz., brownie is 405 calories. So, from a calorie perspective, you can eat loads of broccoli and not get fat. That's the concept of eating in volume; you can eat 10 times more non-starchy vegetables than junk food. Not only that, but you also get all those fabulous antioxidants and other nutrients.
4. Find friends who support your behavior.
Why?
A study by researchers at Brown University found that friends who followed a weight-loss program together lost more weight and were more likely to complete their diet program and maintain their weight loss than those who were doing it on their own.
More: 20 Foods to Help You Lose Weight
What You Need to Know
It wouldn't hurt to make a few new friends who are health and fitness conscious. Mind you, I'm not saying replace your old friends; just find a few who don't carry that extra doughnut in their briefcase or purse.
A critical factor in your weight loss is the company you keep. You need to examine whether your spouse, family, partner, friends and colleagues eat poorly and/or are sedentary.
