Diet and Exercise go hand in hand, Extreme Weight Control is the goal.
Harvard Health Article
An article from Harvard Health Publishing titled Diet & Weight Loss reads as follows
"A healthy weight is an important element of good health. How much you eat—and what you eat—play central roles in maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight. Exercise is the other key actor.
For years, low-fat diets were thought to be the best way to lose weight. A growing body of evidence shows that low-fat diets often don't work, in part because these diets often replace fat with easily digested carbohydrates.
Hundreds of diets have been created, many promising fast and permanent weight loss. Remember the cabbage soup diet? The grapefruit diet? How about the Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle diet, the caveman diet, the Subway diet, the apple cider vinegar diet, and a host of forgettable celebrity diets?
The truth is, almost any diet will work if it helps you take in fewer calories. Diets do this in two main ways:
getting you to eat certain "good" foods and/or avoid "bad" ones
changing how you behave and the ways you think or feel about food
The best diet for losing weight is one that is good for all parts of your body, from your brain to your toes, and not just for your waistline. It is also one you can live with for a long time. In other words, a diet that offers plenty of good tasting and healthy choices, banishes few foods, and doesn't require an extensive and expensive list of groceries or supplements.
One diet that fills the bill is a Mediterranean-type diet. Such a diet—and there are many variations—usually includes:
several servings of fruits and vegetables a day
whole-grain breads and cereals
healthy fats from nuts, seeds, and olive oil
lean protein from poultry, fish, and beans
limited amounts of red meat
moderate wine consumption with meals (no more than two glasses a day for men; no more than one a day for women
A Mediterranean-style diet is a flexible eating pattern. People who follow such diets tend to have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and other chronic conditions."
There are many different takes on how to lose weight through various means and methods. What's IMPORTANT is that YOU find a solution that works and is tailor made for YOU!
Your biology vs your effort
So, you’ve tried everything to lose weight but haven’t had much luck, your biology may be a reason. Things like genetics, hormones, metabolism and gut health can affect your weight. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. This means that 2 pounds is 7000 calories. If you want to lose 2 pounds in 2 weeks (14 days), you need to create a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day. You could make the calorie deficit by either intaking less calories or by burning more calories with exercise.
How to lose 2 pounds per week in 3 Easy steps!
Here are some general tips for sustained weight loss that can help you keep slimming down.
Step 1: Calculate how many calories do you need to lose 2 pounds per week
How many calories your body needs for weight loss can depend on several factors including: age, body size, activity level and other health parameters.
A 2017 overview (1) on lifestyle interventions for obesity suggest the following calorie ranges for weight loss that support a 500-1,000 calorie deficit:
Those less than 200 pounds: 1,000 – 1,500 calories per day
Those over 200 pounds: 1,500 – 1,800 calories per day
Remember one pound of fat is 3500 calories. This means that 2 pounds equals 7000 calories. If you want to lose 2 pounds in 2 weeks (14 days), you need to create a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day. You can create the calorie deficit by either consuming less calories or burn more calories through exercise.
Besides quantity, it’s important to focus also on quality of calories. A problem for many “diets” is they are so low in calories they can provide a stress response in the body that increases cortisol release.
These low-calorie diets can be less than 1,000 calories per day and can leave you feeling hungry and deprived. Eating a high volume of food when going through weight loss can still leave you satisfied. You can eat a high volume of food by filling up on fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and balance meals with heart healthy fats and lean proteins.
Step 2: How much carbohydrate, fat and protein do you need to lose 2 pounds per week?
There is some debate among health professionals and researchers on the exact diet pattern best for weight loss. Is it a low carb diet? Low fat?
The good news is the macronutrient amount may not be so key for weight loss, and there is more than one way to eat healthy for long term health and weight success.
Some research suggests low carb diets may have an advantage for initial weight loss, and low carb diets may be best for a first approach for those at risk for diabetes (2).
Not all studies have shown an advantage for following a low carb diet on weight loss. A 2018 study (3) put over 600 research participants on either a low carbohydrate or low-fat diet for 12 months.
After 12 months, there was no significant difference in weight loss between the two groups.
What may be a more important factor for your weight loss success is what will you stick with long term? What diet pattern fits into your lifestyle and focuses on a high intake of nutrient dense foods?
Step 3: How much exercise do you need to lose 2 pounds per week?
Besides calorie intake, another key part of losing 2 pounds a week will be your exercise patterns. If you want to lose 2 pounds a week, you will need to incorporate a high amount of activity.
The minimum exercise guidelines won’t cut it for significant weight loss. Any activity can give you health benefit, but in terms of sustained weight loss, you will need higher amounts of activity.
How much exercise do you need? Like calorie intake, this can vary individually.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) (4) recommends 200-300 minutes of exercise per week for weight loss. This translates to about 40-60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
Greater than 250 minutes was associated with significant weight loss, so focusing on this amount may be recommended for aggressive weight loss goals.
In fact, after weight is lost, more exercise may be needed to prevent regaining weight. Therefore, after you lose weight, your fitness journey doesn’t stop. It is just the beginning.
Getting a variety of exercise is recommended for overall health and for retention of lean muscle mass. Get a variety of cardio exercise that is both moderate and vigorous intensities if your body can tolerate it.
Get strength training along with flexibility exercises to support lean muscle mass and strength. Consult your health care team before starting any exercise program and to get individualized guidance for your exercise needs.
How can you keep the weight off?
Keeping weight off can be the hard part. This takes consistency, dedication to your health and recognizing when you lose weight means you need to stick with your healthy routines.
Once you reach a weight loss goal, don’t let up in your diligence to eating healthy and moving your body. This doesn’t mean you can return to eating unhealthy foods and letting up on your exercise. In fact, research suggests more exercise can be needed to counteract regaining weight.
There may be some trial and error along your way, but that doesn’t mean you should give up. Mayo Clinic (5) suggests if you want successful weight loss, healthy habits need to become a way of life.
Start fresh after a setback instead of staying stuck. Long term successful weight loss takes commitment and focus.
If you find these are lacking at a point in your journey, remind yourself why you are making these changes and your goals for your health.
Why is exercise so important?
Exercise is important to ensure that your body is strong and healthy enough meet the challenges that you set for it.
Exercise has a multitude of positive effects on your body, including:
Improved heart and lung efficiency, reducing your chances of developing heart disease.
Increased metabolic function, enabling you to maintain a healthy weight.
Strong joints and muscles, so you can meet the demands of daily life.
Maintenance of posture and flexibility, to keep you walking tall.
Production of endorphins in your brain, promoting a sense of wellbeing.
There is also research emerging that indicates that exercise can increase brain function.
Doing regular exercise improves your overall level of health, fitness and wellbeing.
If you want a healthy body, then it needs to be maintained. If you don’t maintain your car, there is an increased possibility that it will stop working. Similarly, if you don’t exercise your body, it will slowly stop working the way that you want it to.
Taking regular exercising will help you to maintain your health, strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. To stay healthy be active.
BELOW you will find some exercise equipment I have listed for example. Amazon has some of the very best exercise equipment on the market!