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Healthy Weight Loss Guidelines

By Dave DiFabio

Weight loss requires a caloric deficit in which the number of calories consumed through food and drink is less than the number of calories burned. The number of calories expended includes basal metabolic rate (the number of calories required for the body to sustain itself in a resting state), in addition to calories burned through physical activity and exercise. A daily caloric deficit can be established through the decrease of calories consumed and/or the expenditure of calories through increased exercise. Healthy and effective weight loss programs incorporate a careful balance of these two strategies.

EXERCISE

1. Burning Calories During Exercise

If you want to lose weight, it is recommended that you do cardiovascular exercise for 30-60 minutes, 4-6 days per week, eventually building up to at least 200 minutes per week (ACSM).

• The higher the intensity of the exercise (e.g. running, higher levels on the cardio equipment), the more calories you burn. Therefore, if you choose to exercise at a lighter intensity (e.g. fast walking, lighter levels on the cardio equipment), you should exercise for longer. If you are able to exercise at a higher intensity, you can do so for a shorter duration.
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• A good way to increase your endurance and the overall intensity of your cardiovascular workouts is to engage in "interval training" in which you incorporate short intervals of higher intensity exercise, followed by intervals of more moderate exercise. Always remember to add a 5-10 minute warm-up and cool-down to your workouts! For more details on specific interval design and for information on proper intensity, please see my article entitled "Intervals vs Cardio" posted on this website.
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• A good goal for weight loss is to try to build up to eventually burn 300-500 calories per exercise session, for a total of at least 2,000 calories per week.
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• Weight training also contributes to calorie usage. Depending on the weight of the individual and the intensity of their strength training routine, a 30-minute session can burn an estimated 150-300 calories (ACE). For more information on weight training, please see my article entitled "Program Design 101".

2. Improving the Muscle to Fat Ratio

The more muscle you have, the more calories the body uses every day.

• Strength training is very important in weight maintenance and weight loss. You will burn calories as you perform the exercises and you will also build muscle. Muscle burns more calories daily than its weight in fat and takes up much less space. Unfortunately, you lose muscle mass as you age, so it is important to strength train to maintain the muscle you have.
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• Aim to complete 2 or 3 full-body strength-training workouts per week on non-consecutive days.
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• Choose 8-10 exercises and complete 2-6 sets of 8-15 repetitions for each exercise. Choose a weight with which you can complete at least 8 repetitions and that causes you to feel completely fatigued after no more than 15 repetitions.
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• One way to increase the intensity of your strength workouts is to do "super sets," alternating between two different exercises.

NUTRITION

1. Know Your Recommended Calorie Range

• Know how many calories your body uses every day so that you are able to effectively control the calories in/calories burned ratio.
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• Even when dieting calorie consumption should not drop below 1 (women)/1 (men) calories per day.
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• Estimated Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and Caloric Requirements (Harris-Benedict Equation):
  
  Males: RMR= 66 + (13.8 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age)
  
  Females: RMR= 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age)
  
  To estimate your daily caloric requirements, multiply RMR by the factor that best represents your activity level:
  
  Bed rest = 1.2
  Sedentary = 1.3
  Active = 1.4
  Very Active = 1.5

2. Never Starve Yourself or Skip Meals – It's all about Moderation

• Starving your body causes your metabolism to slow down and encourages the conservation of existing body fat.
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• Attempt to distribute your calories over 4-6 small meals per day. This allows the body to stay energized and prevents your metabolism from slowing down.
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• Breakfast is important. Once you eat you tell the body to stop conserving.

3. Decrease Calories Consumed by about 500 per Day

• Aim to reduce your current caloric intake by 500 calories per day, never allowing fewer than 1200 calories per day if you are a woman, 1500 if you are a man (ACSM). You can combine this reduction with exercise (example: burn 250 calories and eat 250 calories less).
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• One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories.
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• This reduction, along with exercise, should lead to the loss of approximately 1-2 pounds per week.

4. Balance Your Nutrients

• It is important to consume fat, protein, and carbohydrates daily. Depriving your body of any of these components is never a good long-term plan.
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• Low carbohydrate diets and those extremely low in fat have not proven to accomplish long-term weight loss.
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• Aim for your diet to consist of 10-15% protein, 55-60% carbohydrates, and 20-30% fat (ACSM).
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• Click here and join our mailing list for access to our free online "Food for Fitness" video (coming soon) which will offer food shopping tips to support your healthy lifestyle.

About the Author:

Dave DiFabio MA, CSCS, USAW, is the Founder of Team Speed Fitness. He is also a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Professor at Rutgers University. Dave is also available for online personal training.

Dave has 12 years of training experience and holds a Masters and Bachelors in Exercise Physiology. He is certified by the National Strength & Conditioning Association and by USA Weightlifting. Dave’s clientele includes collegiate and high school athletes, adults and children, and those with special needs or medical concerns. Dave is a regular contributor to Men's Fitness Magazine and has coauthored two research studies dealing with antioxidant supplementation and overtraining. The results of the above studies were presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's 52nd and 53rd Annual Meetings. Dave can be reached via his website TeamSpeedFitness.com. Be sure to view the free “Food for Fitness” videos to learn how to make intelligent, healthy choices at the supermarket.

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