How Much Fat Should I Be Losing?
Let’s say you work a job. After work you go buy some groceries, put gas in the car, and go rent a movie. But what if I told you that you didn’t know how much you were being paid. I think you might wonder, “Do I have enough to buy the things I want?”
This is like not knowing exactly how much you are eating — if your goal is weight loss. You will have no idea how much you should be losing. But if you do a little math, you can figure out how much you should lose.
A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. If you can burn 3,500 calories, you will lose one pound of fat. So if you lower your calories by 500 calories per day for seven days, you should lose one pound of fat. But don’t forget you have to figure out your maintenance level, i.e., how many calories your body needs each day to maintain its weight. My favorite method is the Katch-McArdle formula (http://www.freedomfly.net/Articles/Nutrition/nutrition14.htm). Once you figure this out, you will be able to count your calories from foods to make sure you are eating 500 calories less than your maintenance level.
For my clients, I tell them exactly how much they should lose. In this way, they know exactly how much they need to eat and train in order to lose that amount. If this sounds complex and you think you need some help, feel free to ask. You can e-mail me at von@vongillette.com.
Von
