How To Calculate Weight Loss
If your "love handles" aren't quite so lovable anymore and you've decided it's time to take off some weight, you've come to the right place. Losing weight doesn't have to be difficult - actually, it is guaranteed!
We've all heard the refrain, diet and exercise over and over again. It's no secret that that's how you lose weight. Knowing how to do it isn't the problem, the problem is keeping motivated. It's much easier to keep motivated, and keep on track, if you create a chart of your weight loss successes.
As you lose weight, if you create a graph of your percentage of weight loss it will go a long way toward keeping you motivated. You start off at 100% of your total weight and as you lose you start to see the line going up, and up, and up - and it gets pretty exciting.
Here's how to calculate your weight loss percentage. First start off with your initial weight - how much did you weigh when you first started your diet program? Then, subtract the actual amount that you weigh right now. So for example if you weighed 200 pounds at the beginning of your diet program and you're now at 190 pounds... 200 -190 equals 10 pounds. Now, divide the 10 pounds by the initial weight. So, that means 200 divided into 10 equals 0.05. And finally we multiply our answer, 0.05 times 100 and that equals 5. So up to this point we have lost 5% of our total body weight.
If that seems confusing to you, re read the paragraph and follow along with the calculator it really is pretty simple.
Weigh yourself every week on the same day and at the same time. Then calculate the total weight loss percentage and add it to your chart. Watching the line going up and up is a lot of fun.
Don't forget... your body fluctuates in weight somewhat dramatically throughout the day. Be sure to weigh yourself at the same times. Plus, our weight can fluctuate from day to day too, so it is best not to do this too often, pick one day a week and stick with that. it can get discouraging if done too often. But, nothing beats it as a once a week thrill.
Build your diet so that you are losing between 2 and 5 pounds per week. We all know that you have to burn more calories than you take in, but we don't want to go overboard. It can be unhealthy and mess up your metabolism.
3500 is the magic number. That's the number of calories you need to burn to lose 1 pound. Or, on the other side of it, that's the number of EXTRA calories you have to take in to gain 1 pound. So to lose 1 pound in 10 days all you have to do is burn off an extra 350 calories per day. (It can be a little more involved, but as a rule of thumb this is true.)
Burning 1000 calories per day more than you take in will lose you 2 pounds a week. Burning 2500 extra per day, will take off 5 pounds. You should structure your diet to fall somewhere within those two parameters.
Never ever risk your health just to lose weight. It varies a little depending on your fitness and activity levels, but for men you should always stay above 1600 calories per day, and for women above 1200. Your body has to have a certain number of calories just to maintain and if you go too low you are asking for trouble.
Start a graph today, and in no time you'll look forward to doing it every week. It's very motivating (more so than you may think). Award yourself a little gold star every time you reach your goals for the week.