How to Lose Weight the Right Way?
By: Jordan Zauderer
Tags: Health, Weight Loss, Diet, Exercise, Fitness

Losing weight is the goal for so many people. Whether it’s for looks, health or both, it is a massive industry that, by no question, has been taken advantage of. The leading “experts” in nutrition are merely influencers with a social following that have the body you most likely desire. They produce videos and articles claiming they have all the answers to ‘lose weight instantly’ and ‘get that 6-pack you’ve always wanted’. Clickbait titles to share what has worked for them (which may not work for you) and they usually give their advice on the types of food they think you should eat.

As cliché as it sounds, I’d be remiss not to mention the fact that I, indeed, tried all the trendy diets. I’ve struggled with my weight for many years, and the most frustrating thing was that it wasn’t from a lack of exercise. I played sports, worked out regularly, and still had a belly. Finally, I decided to really dedicate my time to learning about nutrition and finally shed that extra weight I was carrying around for years.

It became clear to me that the nutrition industry is run from the outside in, how people who have no knowledge of nutrition can become viral influencers based on how they look. Having that “if it worked for me, it’ll work for you” mentality is hardly the reality when talking about nutrition. Everyone is different and certain foods are better or worse depending on the person.

I am happy to share what I have learned, and hopefully save someone from going down the fad diet road.

The most important thing I have learned is that you cannot out train a bad diet. Referencing myself earlier, I was extremely active and still couldn’t lose weight, because your diet is the most important thing in regards to losing fat. Lifting weights builds muscle. Cardio burns calories. Both burn calories, but an hour lifting weights may burn 400 cal while an hour of cardio can burn 600–700 cal.

This should become your mantra: Calories in, calories out.

Remember when I said everyone is different? Each individual person requires a certain number of calories a day to be fully replenished. That means consuming the exact number of calories your body has burned that day. It is almost impossible to be exact, but a range is what you are aiming for. Also, remember that you don’t need to workout like a maniac to burn calories. You burn calories just by existing. To find out the number of calories your body burns on average, google a BMR (basic metabolic rate) or a calorie deficit calculator and enter your body’s info. Adjust your activity level to get your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). If you have an apple watch or something similar, that will help as well.

Once you find out your TDEE, you know how many calories your body runs on. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit.

Calorie deficit:

A calorie deficit is when you consume less calories than you burn. Calories in, calories out. A good rule of thumb is to be in a 500-calorie deficit. Let me explain why.

3,500 calories are equal to 1 pound. If you are in a 500 cal deficit for 7 days, that will equal a 3,500-calorie deficit by the end of the week, resulting in a 1 pound weight loss. It really is that simple. Calories in, calories out. If your body on a daily basis burns 2500 calories, you should consume around 2000 calories a day to lose 1 pound a week. If you want to lose 2 pounds per week, you should be in a 750–1000 cal deficit daily. How do you track your calorie intake? The best and only way is to simply keep track yourself. Either on your phone or on a note pad. Read the labels and calculate how many calories you are eating. If you are overweight, you are most likely eating in a calorie surplus, meaning you are consuming more calories your body needs. If you burn 2500 calories daily, and you consume 3000 calories a day, by the end of the week you will be 1 pound heavier. Calories in, calories out.

Once you get the hang of tracking your calories and start exercising, then you can start worrying about macros and carb cycling and all that fun stuff (which will be in articles to come). But for now, focus on your calorie intake and make a conscious effort to count your calories. It doesn’t have to be every day. Once you get the hang of how much you need to eat, portion control will become a little easier.

If you are reading this and thinking you want to give it a try, the first step is the most important part, and that step is downloading ‘Myfitnesspal’. And for 1 week, even 1 day, track every single thing you eat. You don’t even have to diet yet, just type in everything you ate that day and get a general idea of how much you are eating in a day. Then, google ‘calorie deficit calculator’ and enter your body info to get your TDEE. And be honest. Those 2 numbers (your TDEE and your daily calorie intake) are the most crucial bits of information for your weight loss. If your TDEE is 2500cal and you discover that you consume 3500cal daily, either eat less to bring that number down, or start doing some cardio to bring your TDEE up. Better yet, do both. Not super intense cardio. Even a 30-minute bike ride can give you an extra 300 calories to work with.

In the end, no matter what your reason is in your desire to lose weight and get lean, you should have the right information to start your journey, and what I shared above is the only information you need to get started. It begins with a conscious effort to make a change, the drive to better yourself, and the right tools necessary to get you to your goal.