Did you know that 1 pound equals 3,500 calories. That means that in order to lose 1 pound you have to lose 3,500 calories. If you want to lose 2 pounds per week, you need to lose 7,000 calories per week.
Let's say your body's Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is 1,500 calories. BMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs each day to break even because it's the number of calories that it burns for you to stay alive. Those BMR calories come from digestion, breathing, heart rate, temperature control, maintaining muscle tone, etc. Therefore, with a BMR of 1,500 calories, you only need to consume, thru food and drink, 1,500 calories per day in order to not gain or lose a pound.
So, with a 1,500 BMR, a person who wants to lose 2 pounds per week, has to go under on calories by 1,000 calories per day. What! Only 500 calories per day? That's all I can eat? No, that's impossible. But, what if you can get by with eating 1,000 calories per day AND you are able to burn 500 more thru exercise? 30 hard minutes on a treadmill can result in 300 calories burned. After that, you only need 200 more calories per day. So, maybe you do 45 minutes instead and burn 450 calories? Only 50 to go.
Only 50 to go. What about lifting some weights? You don't have to go crazy here, but remember that muscle is the body's best fat burner. In other words, it's the best way to raise your metabolism. If you can improve your muscle tone, you'll increase your BMR. So, what if your BMR increases over time to 1,750? You're still consuming 1,000 calories per day, but now your calorie deficit is 750 per day. Add to that the 450 burned in cardio exercise and you're up to 1,200 per day. Boom! All of a sudden, you're calorie deficit needed to lose weight is over 1,000 per day and you're well on your way to losing 2 pounds per week.
Remember: Losing weight is all about the math and it's simple math. Calories in minus calories out.
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