Tag Archives: easy weight loss

Your Question About Easy Weight Loss

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Sandy asks…

is it healthy to lose this much weight in 3 days?

My roommate claims she’s supporting me with my diet.
I’m on a No Sweets/Dairy Diet (I am taking multi-vitamins, so don’t worry about me not getting calcium).
She is “following” the No Sweets part (yet she ate Cap’n Crunch the other day).

Anyways, I’ve lost 6.6 pounds in 3 weeks, which is ahead of my schedule [3 pounds in week 1; 2 pounds in week 2; 1.6 pounds in week 3= 6.6 total] and then she goes and brags about losing 4 pounds in 3 days.

Is it healthy to lose that much weight in 3 days?
She isn’t overweight.
In fact, she complains about being fat when she weighs over 129 pounds.

weight loss cardiff answers:

Remember that your bodys weight also consists of food in your body, clothes your wearing while weighing yourself, etc. So the day she weighed herself she could have been in sweats or, to be honest, hadn’t taken a poop in awile, then when she weighed herself been in lighter clothes and had an empty digestive system. I’ve gone from 115 to 109 in 2 days and hadn’t even been on a diet! So yes it is possible

Richard asks…

How can i lose weight in 3 days?

So im only 13 years old and i have this “important” thing i have to go to on saturday. and i wanna lose at least a few pounds by then. And yea i know i got go on a diet and drink water and exercise. ive tried all of that but ive GAINED weight instead of lost weight. Actually, ive been trying this whole diet thing combined with exercise but ive been getting no where. One day i weigh 139.8 and then the next i weigh 143.8. and that day was the day where i ate the healthiest foods and worked out the most. My BMI says im over weight and if i want a healthy weight i have to weigh 137 at the most. and my weight changes every 10-15 min. believe it or not. i weigh myself so much cuz i feel horrible about myself. WHAT DO I DO. I CANT HANDLE LOOKING LIKE A FATTY

weight loss cardiff answers:

Seriously wanna lose weight in 3 days? Then don’t eat. I know I’m gonna hear a lot of negative comments but its the easiest way to lose the most weight. BUT definitely dont go anorexic on me. Its ok to fast occasionally but if you start getting obsessive over it, Its time to find a healthier, more subtle way to lose weight.

Donna asks…

If I just drink my acai smoothies for 3 days, will I lose weight?

Plus exercise a LOT (running and aerobics class). I may eat a small portion for supper. But yeah, if I just drink those for my other meals, do you think I’d lose some weight?

weight loss cardiff answers:

Enjoy wasting your money on Acai smoothies.

Any weight lost will be the result of exercise and dieting, not the result of Acai.

Acai is just a regular berry like blueberries or rasberries. Unfortunately, some corporation though a great way to make money would be to stretch the truth and turn Acai into some sort of miracle product. Now everybody has been brainwashed into thinking Acai is this amazing product, when it’s just a freaking berry.

To lose fat:
1. DON’T BELIEVE THOSE FAD DIETS! DIET PILLS ARE GIMMICKS! Yes, Acai berries/pills/juice is a fad diet.
2. DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF! Unless you are 4ft tall, a 1,200 calorie a day diet is DANGEROUS and won’t work in the long run.
3. Calculate your BMR. Do a google search. A good calculator would ask for your age, height, weight, and activity level.
4. Eat healthy and eat about 500 calories a day less than your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your BMR is how many calories you need per day to maintain your current weight.
5. Eat 5-6 small meals a day. This keeps your metabolism up. Each meal should include fruits, veggies, water, and protein.
5. Drink at least 64oz (8 8oz glasses) of water a day. No soda (that includes diet soda).
6. Do light/moderate cardio 3 to 5 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes each time. Running and aerobics class are great.
7. Do some strength training to make sure you lose fat and not muscle. Don’t worry; you won’t look like the hulk if you lift weights.
8. You should lose about 1-2lbs (.45-.9kg) per week. If you lose more than that, chances are the rest is stool, water weight, or even muscle mass.
9. Weigh yourself only once a week at the same time (ie every Friday morning). Your weight fluctuates a lot during any 24hour period because of water and food intake and also bowel movements.
Be patient and be smart. If you follow this guideline you will be very happy with your results.

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Your Question About Easy Weight Loss

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Mandy asks…

weight loss tips!!!!? 10points.?

Okay, I know, the best way and basically the only way to lose weight is to work out. But, I know that if you drink a LOT of water a day, it helps a lot and so does avoiding soda and stuff like that. Besides pills or wraps or anything like that, anybody want to give me good tips?
Example: keep a food journal
the person who gives me the most tips gets 10 points, but they have to be good tips, not fake ones or anything like that.
thanks.
also, certain exercises?
like jumping rope
or kickboxing
etc?
also, certain exercises?
like jumping rope
or kickboxing
etc?
&if you have any success stories from doing anything, the more details the better
(how long it took you to lost however much you did and all that)

weight loss cardiff answers:

Weight Loss Tips
http://weightlossweightloss.blogspot.com/
–Drink more water–
–Increase your protein intake–
–Eat Negative calorie food —
–Eat slowly–
–Cut down the sugar intake—
–Do not skip meals–
–Eat breakfast everyday —
–Eat smaller, more frequent meals–
–Exercise(Aerobics and Strength Training)
–Interval Training – great way to boost metabolism–
–Replace white rice, bread, and pasta with brown rice and whole-grain products–
http://weightlossweightloss.blogspot.com/2008/04/weight-loss-tips.html

online weight loss workout videos
http://weightlossweightloss.blogspot.com/2008/10/ab-workout-dumbbell-workout-ab-workout.html

Yoga And Weight Loss
http://weightlossweightloss.blogspot.com/2008/10/yoga-and-weight-loss.html

—–Watch weight loss transformation pictures for motivation – before after pictures
http://weightlossweightloss.blogspot.com/2008/10/weight-loss-before-and-after-picture.html
—–Try your VIRTUAL WEIGHT LOSS MODEL for motivation and inspiration: You can enter your height ,weight and check your before and after model .
Http://weightlossweightloss.blogspot.com/2008/04/weight-loss-before-and-after-pictures.html

Ruth asks…

16, M, 185 lbs, relatively no muscles (except for legs). Weight loss tips?

Let me give a bit more information. I take Grade 11 gym, which is every other school day for an hour and 15 minutes. Im pretty sure that I have hyper-hydrosis (I sweat a bit more than others do). I do hardly any exercise outside of school. I do a lot of eating after school (KD, chips, other foodstuffs). I want to lose weight to help prepare for a school production. Can anybody help me out? It would be greatly appreciated.

weight loss cardiff answers:

Healthy weight loss tips

* Take one pound at a time
Don’t get overwhelmed by how much weight you need to lose. Try to remember that “losing 15 pounds in two weeks” is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat.

Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight.

Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 3-4 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories.

* Set Reachable Goals
For instance, if you know you need to get more exercise, begin with a manageable goal of, say, walking 10 minutes a day that you know you can achieve. Then build your self-esteem by achieving the small goals you set yourself.

The same logic applies for losing weight.

* Stay off the scales
Don’t get discouraged when your progress seems to be slow according to your bathroom scales. They do not provide a true measure of what is going on with the body.

If exercise levels are adequate (5-7 days a week), you may be putting on muscle but losing fat, thus losing inches even if you are not losing pounds. It’s always a good idea to do several body measurements to have a second objective way to monitor progress.

* Stay focused on being healthy, not thin
# Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motive changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset to think about selecting foods that will help your body’s health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body’s weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.

* Fat Free?
We’ve known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That’s because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.

* Drink plenty of water
Drink eight glasses a day. Water is a natural appetite-suppressant. Nettle tea is a great weight-loss tea as it supports metabolism and has diuretic properties.

* Reward yourself
# Each time you reach a goal, such as losing 5 pounds, reward yourself with a gift or a massage.

* Seek help if you need it
# A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. Find a friend to lose weight with or you can check to see if groups such as Weight Watchers, or eDiets offer programs and resources in your area by clicking the links. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietician conducts group weight loss programs.

* Watch your portions
With the advent of “supersize” meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a “plate cleaner” even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.

* Eat your food slowly
Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That’s because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy your food.

George asks…

Anyone have any weight loss/toning tips?

I NEED a bikini body for Summer! I am 5’2 and weight 123 lbs. -_- ugh. I’m not fat or anything, I’m just not thin if that makes sense? I’m inbetween being skinny and over-weight. I want to lose fat mainly in my upper stomach and thighs (i want a gap between my thighs). If anyone has tips on losing weight fast and toning your tummy.. it will be greatly appreciated. xx

weight loss cardiff answers:

Safe Weight Loss Program

If you are looking for a safe weight loss program then the only one to choose would be one that cuts down your calorie intake and pumps up the amount of exercise that you do each day. Doing both these things will definitely melt away all excess fat over a period of time, and this can definitely be called a good weight loss program.

This will certainly be seen as a weight loss plan that works and you won’t have to have any kind of drug with side affects to do it. The first thing that is needed is to cut down on the amount of food and drink that you take in daily, so write a diary for a week with everything you eat on it and then go through it to see which is unnecessary and of course too many calories. 1lb of fat is equal to 3500 calories so just by cutting down on 100 calories a day in a year you will be able to lose over 11lbs of fat.

So if you want to get rid of 4 stone of excess weight it would take you about (4×14=56 56/11=5) 5 years to get rid of your extra 4 stone and don’t forget this is only by cutting out 100 calories a day to do it much faster you can exercise as well and see it go in half the time. If you are very overweight then I would suggest walking as your main exercise. Walking is easy everyone can do it and it is known as a safe weight loss program just increase the amount of walking you do each day and cut down on the amount of unnecessary calories you take in daily and soon you should see your weighing scales come down thereby giving you all the incentive you need to carry on with your new safe weight loss program.

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Your Question About Easy Weight Loss

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Ruth asks…

How to talk to my fiancé about losing weight?

My fiancé and I have been together for almost two years now and over that time she has gained a decent amount of weight. I find that it’s becoming harder and harder to be attracted to her as she keeps gaining weight. The thing that bothers me most however is that I am worried for her health in the future. We plan to have kids and I don’t want her to have to sit on the side line while they grow up because she gets worn out to easily. I want her to be able to enjoy her life and bring unhealthy isnt going to help her in doing that. Another thing is I enjoy being physically active but find it hard to do things with her. I like to go walking and running and she doesn’t feel the same. I have tried to invite her with me and do things that aren’t just for health but also allow us to have fun and spend good quality time together. We have started eating better but as soon as we do she eats candy or drinks pop. I don’t know what to do and feel as though there will be no end. I love her very much but this weight thing is going to really come in the way for the rest of our lives.

weight loss cardiff answers:

Women will think you shallow for not loving her for who & what she is, & not because of her weight or appearance. However, you said it in your question. You enjoy being healthy & physically active. She doesn’t. A major difference in lifestyle choices would normally split people apart, but you “love her very much” which means you must be a captive to what she wants in this relationship. You want to marry her, so you must learn to love her no matter how big she gets, or be prepared to move on. Sorry, you can’t change the facts.

William asks…

What is the best method, healthy or unhealthy to lose the fat?

I am a 27 year old male, I work as a bouncer. I have alot of muscle, but I want to lose the fat. I am 6’1” , and weigh in about 340lbs. I want to shed this as quck as I can, and I do work out. I eat twice a day, and have lowered my portions. I don’t drink alot of water however, mainly ice tea. My arms measure 13” around, of pure rock hard muscle, but my gut area is out of control. Any suggestions?

weight loss cardiff answers:

The following healthy living recommendations will help you if you’re trying to lose weight, tone up your muscles, have aspirations of building lean muscle mass, are attempting to get a wash board stomach, or just want to feel better:

*1) Burn more calories then you’re consuming everyday and measure your results using the following formula: Calories Consumed minus Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) minus Physical Activity minus the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). A website that explains this formula in more detail and will help you determine how many calories you need to reach or maintain a certain weight is at http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/calsburned.htm

Get an online, desktop, or cell phone diet and fitness calculator. This will allow you to easily calculate the above formula, set goals, log your daily calorie consumption, and register your physical activities.

Set realistic goals for your ideal body weight. Here are two websites that will calculate a suggested body weight:
Adults: http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm
Teens/Children: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/exercise/weight/bmi.html

It is difficult and unhealthy to lose more than one or two pounds per week. There are 3,500 calories in a pound. If you eat 500 fewer calories per day for a week you will lose one pound. If you burn through exercise 500 more calories per day for a week you will lose one pound.

Here are two articles on how to break through a weight loss plateau:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/86/99147.htm
http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/18/102117.htm

*2) Eat natural and organic foods found on earth versus something created by a corporation to make money. Eat meals in small portions throughout the day and take a good multi-vitamin supplement.

Do not try fad diets or diet pills. Avoid “High Glycemic Load Carbs” (sugar, pastries, desserts, refined starches such as breads, pasta, refined grains like white rice; high starch vegetables such as potatoes) and drink lots of water. Read this article for more information on high GL Carbs:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates.html

The following are food pyramids and several articles on what you should eat everyday:
Food Pyramids:
http://www.rayandterry.com/html/images/PyramidLRG.gif?osCsid=26a424be471d1337e7c2f105d5c64d9d
http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Antioxidant Superstars – Vegetables and Beans:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107638.html
Antioxidant Loaded Fruits:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107640.html
Good Carbs Mean Better Weight:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/100/105783.htm
The Benefits of Protein:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/85/98824.htm
Some Fats Are Good For You:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/49/40075.htm
Antioxidants in Green and Black Tea:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/104/107641.html
What You Should Eat Daily:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/slide_yourbody_healthfood_201.jhtml
Best Foods to Fight off Disease and Keep You Healthy:
http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/slide_yourbody_healthfood_101.jhtml

*3) Perform cardiovascular, core, and/or strength training on most days. Read a book or find a certified trainer to make sure you’re doing all exercises correctly.

The following is a website and numerous articles on cardiovascular, core, and strength training:
Exercise Prescription on the Net
http://www.exrx.net/
Starting an Exercise Program:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/startexercise.htm
Strength Training Basics:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/trainbasics.htm
Cardiovascular Machine Workouts:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/cardiowork.htm
Balance Your Way to a Stronger Body:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/64/72314.htm
Understanding Your Training Heart Rate:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/thr.htm
Exercise Errors:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/activity/errors.htm
Getting a Flat Stomach:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/71/81365.htm
Weight Lifting – Does Order Matter:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/80/96440.htm
Encouraging Exercise in Your Kids:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/95/103524.htm
Strength Training Safe and Effective for Kids:
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/32/1728_81005.htm

*4) Get plenty of sleep. Sleep experts say most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimum performance, health, and safety.

*5) Educate yourself continually on health issues and make a life long commitment to good health. A great free publication is “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005”. A reputable test you can take to measure your biological age is at http://realage.com
Look at all areas where you can enhance your health. For example, make improvements in the quality of the air you breathe. Review outdoor air quality forecasts where you live and get an indoor air purifier.

Send me an email or yahoo instant message to “gainbetterhealth” if you have any questions and good luck!

*Click on all the source links below to get the full benefit of the recommendations. The answers presented to your health questions are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Betty asks…

Any good exercise tips and good foods to help me lose weight? Help please!?

I want to know some good exercise work outs for legs, thighs and arms. Also some good foods, like good dinners or good breakfasts. Any good tips for me to help lose weight. Btw, i’m 5’3 and 135 pounds, Dont judge. Thank you(:

weight loss cardiff answers:

1. Walking – If the weather is nice, it’s wonderful to get outside and enjoy the scenery around you while you exercise. However, if the weather has other ideas, you can just as easily get an effective walking workout at home. If you have a flight of stairs, go up and down them a few times. (You could even grab a load of laundry as you’re going that way anyway!) This will help to tone up your legs, while getting some low impact aerobic exercise as well. If you don’t have any stairs available, just walk around the house a few times – it may not be very exciting, but it will do the job!
How Many Calories Burned Walking 3.0 mph

2. Jumping Jacks – These are always fun, as they bring back memories of being a kid! Who hasn’t done jumping jacks for fun as a child? Well, surprise – they are also great cardio exercises, and good for warming up, too.

3. Pushups – These are probably not the most favorite exercise of many people, but while they can be hard to do, you can find easier ways to do them. You don’t need to pretend you’re “Rocky”, and do them with one hand; just do what works for you. Do them on your knees, instead of keeping your legs straight. Or, do them standing up against a wall. You will be building up arm strength and working out muscles in your chest area.

4. Leg Lifts – These are great for building up strength and muscles in your legs. If you find it hard to do the exercises with your legs straight, try bending them slightly.

5. Crunches – The best exercise for building up and strengthening abdominal muscles. When you’re just getting started, don’t worry about getting your head all the way up. So long as you’re going up until you feel the stretching of the muscles, you will see some benefit.

6. Jogging In Place – Jogging is a great exercise for your heart. You can jog in place at home while watching TV or listening to music. The only equipment you will require is a good pair of shoes, to eliminate any stress to your legs.

7. Squats – These are wonderful exercises for your legs and buttocks. You can even just try these by sitting and standing up again from a regular chair, if you’re finding them to be too difficult. As long as you’re able to do a few repetitions, you will be providing some benefit to your body.

8. Light Weight Lifting – No, you don’t need to go out and buy expensive weights for this! Just use whatever you can find in your house. Start out with something lighter, such as a can of peas, and work yourself up to heavier items. You can use milk jugs, laundry detergent bottles or even water jugs.

9. Dancing – Dancing is a wonderful exercise, which is great for your heart. Not only that, but it can lift your spirits as well, and give your overall feeling a boost.

10. Step Exercises – Using the steps in your home, you can do repetitions which will tone your leg muscles. (Just remember to be careful!)

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Your Question About Easy Weight Loss

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Steven asks…

What is the best weight loss program?

I need to lose about 30 lbs. and I am looking for a good weight loss program to go on. I need a program that does not require alot of cooking and the foods I will need to eat will be easily accessible and be quick and easy to make. I plan on joining a gym and starting to work out. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

weight loss cardiff answers:

The Jorge Cruise 3 Hour Diet seems to be very popular, although I have not tried it. Good Luck!

Joseph asks…

Does weight watcher work and how do they set your goal weight?

Well I am a 32 women that is 5 9″ and 220 pounds. I am planning on joining the coming week and just nervous how the is going to change my life for the better. I don’t know what foods to buy? How will they set my goal of weight loss? How does weight watcher works?

weight loss cardiff answers:

Like just about any other responsible diet or plan of eating, weight watchers’ works will if you stick with it. I’ve done weight watchers twice, had success on it, and there are a few guidelines.

1) What foods to buy: Well, that is the good news about WW. There are no forbidden foods, the important thing is not eating too much and following some sound nutritional solutions. You will learn at the meetings how to figure out foods to enjoy, and the proper amounts to eat. Other guidelines (e.g. Drinking enough water, adequate vegetable servings daily, the right amount of healthy oils) make sure that you will get proper nutrition.

2) Another thing that I like about the program is that it begins with more generous portions, and as you lose weight you gradually decrease your food intake. This helps to insure steady weight loss from beginning to end.

3) One thing that some people don’t like about WW is that it is very intentional about limiting weight loss to approximately 1 pound a week. This is actually the healthy way to do it, but darn it, it isn’t as much fun in the short term as faster weight loss. However, weight loss is more easily maintained with this sort of weight loss. That is the difficulty with any diet, when the weight is lost, and you have to start eating normally again. With the WW system, the transition into maintenance is fairly simple, as you eat the same way as during weight loss, you just are able to eat slightly more.

4) About the goal. The meetings I attended set the first goal as losing 10% of your body weight (so, for example, if you weigh 220 lbs, your first goal would be to lose 22 lbs, or get down to 198). This actually has some medical backing, as there have been many studies showing the health benefits of a 10% weight loss. After you hit the first goal, why not go for another 10%, in this case it will only be another 19 lbs! And so on until you reach your ideal weight.

5) How it works, well, this is already a long post, so I won’t go too much into it. Basically, every food has a point value, based on the amount of calories, fat and fiber. It is super easy to calculate, and you just keep your food intake to a prescribed amount each day. Then you are encouraged to eat vegetables, drink more water, and exercise sensibly. All in all, it is a very simple program to implement.

As I said at the beginning, the main problem with WW is user error. I tended to follow it for a while, and then (as I’ve done with every other diet I’ve ever attempted), stopped following it, and gained the weight back. The program is nutritionally sound, and sensible, you just have to know going in that, in order to get and keep the weight off, you are making a lifelong commitment. That is true with any weight loss program. The good thing about WW is that, while can’t imagine living on shakes, or drinking maple-syrup-sweetened lemonade, or buying those expensive celebrity-endorsed “eat nothing but our pre-packaged-food-and-you’ll-lose-weight programs for the rest of my life, WW provides a solution that is logical and maintainable.

This has turned out to be more of a glowing endorsement than I planned when I started typing. Just to clarify, I’m in no way affiliated with WW, and I’m currently not following the WW program. I am, however, a fan, and if you are ready to do it, WW will provide you a reasonable and relatively simple road to get there.

Hope this helps. Sorry for the length!!!

Peace,
Tom

Daniel asks…

How many calories should I eat for rapid weight loss?

Im 15, about 5’7, and need to lose weight by tuesday. Im asking someone out and I would like to look my best when I do so.
How many calories should I eat daily to acheive rapid weight loss?
(Im not a girl)

weight loss cardiff answers:

Do calories matter or do you simply need to eat certain foods and that will guarantee you’ll lose weight? Should you count calories or can you just count “portions?” Is it necessary to keep a food diary? Is it unrealistic to count calories for the rest of your life or is that just part of the price you pay for a better body? You’re about to learn the answers to these questions and discover a simple solution for keeping track of your food intake without having to crunch numbers every day or become a fanatic about it.

In many popular diet books, “Calories don’t count” is a frequently repeated theme. Other popular programs, such as Bill Phillip’s “Body For Life,” stress the importance of energy intake versus energy output, but recommend that you count “portions” rather than calories…

Phillips wrote,

“There aren’t many people who can keep track of their calorie intake for an extended period of time. As an alternative, I recommend counting ‘portions.’ A portion of food is roughly equal to the size of your clenched fist or the palm of your hand. Each portion of protein or carbohydrate typically contains between 100 and 150 calories. For example, one chicken breast is approximately one portion of protein, and one medium-sized baked potato is approximately one portion of carbohydrate.”

Phillips makes a good point that trying to count every single calorie – in the literal sense – can drive you crazy and is probably not realistic as a lifestyle for the long term. It’s one thing to count portions instead of calories – that is at least acknowledging the importance of portion control. However, it’s another altogether to deny that calories matter.

Calories do count! Any diet program that tells you, “calories don’t count” or you can “eat all you want and still lose weight” is a diet you should avoid because you are being lied to. The truth is, that line is a bunch of baloney designed to make a diet sound easier to follow.

Anything that sounds like work – such as counting calories, eating less or exercising, tends to scare away potential customers! The law of calorie balance is an unbreakable law of physics: Energy in versus energy out dictates whether you will gain, lose or maintain your weight. Period.

I believe that it’s very important to develop an understanding of and a respect for portion control and the law of calorie balance. I also believe it’s an important part of nutrition education to learn how many calories are in the foods you eat on a regular basis – including (and perhaps, especially) how many calories are in the foods you eat when you dine at restaurants.

The law of calorie balance says:

To maintain your weight, you must consume the same number of calories you burn. To gain weight, you must consume more calories than you burn. To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn.

If you only count portions or if you haven’t the slightest idea how many calories you’re eating, it’s a lot more likely that you’ll eat more than you realize. (Or you might take in fewer calories than you should, which triggers your body’s “starvation mode” and causes your metabolism to shut down).

So how do you balance practicality and realistic expectations with a nutrition program that gets results? Here’s a solution that’s a happy medium between strict calorie counting and just guessing:

Create a menu using an EXCEL spreadsheet or your favorite nutrition software. Crunch all the numbers including calories, protein, carbs and fats. Once you have your daily menu, print it, stick it on your refrigerator (and/or in your daily planner) and you now have an eating “goal” for the day, including a caloric target.

Rather than writing down every calorie one by one from every morsel of food you eat for the rest of your life, create a menu plan you can use as a daily goal and guideline. If you’re really ambitious, keeping a nutrition journal at least one time in your life for at least 4-12 weeks is a great idea and an incredible learning experience, but all you really need to get started on the road to a better body is one good menu on paper. If you get bored eating the same thing every day, you can create multiple menus, or just exchange foods using your primary menu as a template.

Using this meal planning method, you really only need to “count calories” once when you create your menus, not every day, ad infinitum. After you’ve got a knack for calories from this initial discipline of menu planning, then you can estimate portions in the future and get a pretty good (and more educated) ballpark figure.

So what’s the bottom line? Is it really necessary to count every calorie to lose weight? No. But it IS necessary to eat fewer calories then you burn. Whether you count calories and eat less than you burn, or you don’t count calories and eat less than you burn, the end result is the same – you lose weight. Which would you rather do: Take a wild guess, or increase your chance for success with some simple menu planning? I think the right choice is obvious.

For more information on calories (including how calculate precisely how many you should eat based on your age, activity and personal goals, and for even more practical, proven fat loss techniques to help you lose body fat safely, healthfully and permanently, check out my e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle at

http://www.fightfatphilly.com/tom_venuto_fitness_articles.html

To learn more about building your best body ever, simply go to http://www.ChristianHealthandFitness.com to download YOUR FREE copy of ‘The Christian’s Guide To Maximal Fat Loss’ sample plan. You will also find some more great fitness tips from Matt Shuebrook at http://www.FightFatPhilly.com/articles.html and http://www.MyPhiladelphiaFitnessExpert.com

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