But I Want To Lose Weight Fast!

This is the biggest goal of people starting out. “I want to lose weight fast! Just tell me what not to eat and that I can lose 20 pounds in 10 days. It’s an emergency! I have a(n) (insert some event here) to go to! And, I HATE CARDIO and lifting will make me bulky.”

We are so fragile with our time that convenience is almost the priority of most decisions. If it is not done quickly, it’s almost like not worth it to start. Other “things” can occupy that time for us. Be efficient… be purposeful… be busy?

Here is the quick rundown on weight loss (From a food standpoint)

Read the nutrition labels.

Start simple and understand what your body needs to perform well. I am no nutritionist, nor am I claiming to be, but anyone can tell you eating a whole sleeve of Oreo’s, while binging a show cancelled 5 years ago, is not healthy (in multiple ways). We often grab the easy options and just heat it up and chow down without a clue of what’s in it. This is not some attempt to go organic or remove all processed foods and sugars. Just start with an understanding of what is in your food and what you want that food to do for you. It is so easy to overconsume and not even know it. Food tastes good. Have you tried it? Some companies actually try to hide the label. Have you went for a Lenny & Larry’s Protein Cookie? It acknowledges it’s tough to locate the nutrition facts and wants you to skip it. It’s because that 1 cookie is 2 servings. it’s really not any better than a normal cookie.

Know your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)

Use a TDEE calculator (https://tdeecalculator.net/). I like this one, but any will do. Be honest in your responses. You don’t have to share them. It will spit out a number. This number is the number of calories your body needs each day to maintain your weight. If you routinely eat under that number, you WILL LOSE WEIGHT. So, if it’s by day, by week, by month, or whatever time frame, lowering calories lowers weight.

NOW HOLD ON! This is not the only answer. It sets a guideline. The TDEE number is not bad nor perfect gospel either. The site may also offer advice on a bulk or cutting program. Please don’t just not eat or steeply cut calories. This normally makes people feel sickly or unable to perform their best. Now I want you to be amazing at the things you want to be. If you cut too steep, your body will let you know by making you over-hungry and so tired you don’t want to do anything. Eating is kind of pivotal to life, like breathing, or drinking water.

Track your Meals

There are dozens of these now. Myfitnesspal, BTWB, general Alexa questions. It is not fun or efficient to track what you eat. But early on, don’t change anything and track for a week. Eat freely. No change. This is a good baseline to see how far TDEE and your daily intake are off. There is no expectation of what is good or bad here. Once you get an idea of where your calories are from, work through the Nutritional Facts again and see if there is another option with better calories for you.

Here are a few examples:

1 TBLS Jiffy Peanut Butter -188 calories / 1 TBLS PB Fit Powder Peanut Butter + Water -35 calories (does taste a bit different though)

1 Hebrew Nation Hot Dog -151 calories / 1 Hebrew Nation 97% Lean -45 calories (once you load up onions/mustard etc you cannot tell)

Just swapping these items lowers 259 calories for the day. This is an extra snack worth of food that can be added and hold weight. If you can’t part with these, there is something in your diet to adjust. Condiments, prepackaged items are good places to start.

Hell, I quit drinking skim milk because I can use almond milk and save 60 calories per 8oz serving. And I loved drinking milk! I am not lactose either.

How much do I cut?

I like to think weight loss is a slow process. 3500 calories equal 1 pound of body fat. If you try to stay 500 calories under each day you will lose a pound a week. This process can be sped up slightly by being more active. Please do not just stop eating though to lose weight. I would say 250 calorie reduction in food and increase activity by 250 calories is perfect. Try 100 first, then if it goes well, try a little more. You should not feel starving and you should not feel weak. If you do, add back a few calories. Just a few. Don’t go nuts.

Does KETO, intermittent fasting, vegan, blah blah, yadda yadda work?

Yes and no. Could they work? Yes. You still need a calorie deficit regardless. I lost weight eating McDonald’s Breakfast 2-3 times a week. 2 Bacon, Egg, & Cheese McGriddles and a large black iced coffee is about 860 calories. As long as I stay smart the remainder of the day and select filling, low calorie foods I did not fall off my plan. It’s hard to say no to food. I was that guy that normally had seconds or demolished any leftovers from office catering. There is no surprise I started a job at 215lbs and left 2.5 years later at 245lbs. I was still teaching fitness classes 4 days a week. I was exercising but I kept thinking to bulk and add muscle bro. I just got fat from overeating. It goes to show that you cannot out train a bad diet.

All in all

Try to learn a bit about yourself on this road. You might find new favorite foods. I found great recipes on YouTube or just wandering the internet for ideas and swap options. It took time to put on the weight, expect it to take time to lose some of it. You probably won’t lose weight everyday either but stay the course. Challenge yourself for a month to learn a bit more. I can almost promise you will see results.