We all know being fat is not fun. Your body and mind are both negatively affected by excess body fat. This thread will hopefully help you lose weight Feel free to add your own tips
and tricks, and ask any question that comes to your mind. I'll do my best to help.
Difference between overweight and obese :
Overweight refers to an excess amount of body weight, not necessarily body fat.
Obese refers to an excess amount of body fat.
How to know whether you're in a healthy weight range or not :
Body Mass Index BMI : it's very commonly used, but isn't the best option for everybody.
Formula: weight (kg) / [height (m)]^2 or weight (lb) / [height (in)]^2 x 703
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5 – 24.9 Normal
25.0 – 29.9 Overweight
30.0 and Above Obese
Body fat % : More suited for individuals who are trying to build large amounts of muscle and/or using performance enhancing substances like anabolic steroids. It's hard to get an accurate measurement though. Very commonly used by bodybuilders.
For most people, high BMI correlates with high BF%.
Weight loss basics :
Weight loss is a very complicated biological process, but it follows a simple rule : If you burn more calories than you consume, you WILL lose weight. The amount of calories you burn in a day is referred to as TDEE which stands for total daily energy expenditure. You can estimate your TDEE using online tools, links below. Or you can do the math yourself :
BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate, which we need to estimate first.
Harris-Benedict formula :
MEN : BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years)
WOMEN : BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years)
Katch-McArdle formula (more accurate)
MEN and WOMEN : BMR = 370 + (21.6 x lean body mass in kg)
The most accurate way is getting it measured in a lab with sophisticated equipement.
You then multiply your BMR by a variable, according to the table below,
-Sedentary TDEE = BMR x 1.2 (little exercise)
-Lightly active TDEE = BMR x 1.375 (light exercise)
-Moderately active TDEE = BMR x 1.55 (moderate exercise)
-Very active TDEE = BMR x 1.725 (hard exercise)
-Extremely active TDEE = BMR x 1.9 (hard exercise daily)
You now need to substract x calories from your TDEE for weight loss. For each pound of fat you want to lose, you need a total deficit of 3500 calories. (So to lose a pound a week, you would need to eat TDEE - 500 calories per day). You can easily track your food intake using online tools or mobile applications, links below.
Appetite suppression :
The biggest obstacle people encounter while trying to lose weight is hunger. Fortunately there are many ways of suppressing you appetite. You obviously need to avoid calorie-dense foods, including fried stuff. Try to get your carbs from fruits and vegetables, as they are very filling. Another way of suppressing your appetite is eating big amounts of protein.
Studies have shown that an increased intake of protein produces an anorexic effect. Even though you don't need that much, eating 1g of protein per pound of body weight should help you feel fuller. Protein is also the most thermogenic macronutrient (that means you waste a lot of calories just to break protein down and digest it), so eating more protein can actually make you burn more calories. For weight loss, I recommend you eat 1g of protein and 0.5g of fat per pound of bodyweight per day, and get your remaining calories from carbs.
Aerobic exercise aka cardio :
Cardio can be a very useful tool, not only does it have many proven benefits, but it also increases your TDEE (i.e. it makes you burn more calories), meaning you can allow yourself to eat more food while losing the same amount of weight. Regardless of what others say, cardio is not necessary, it's just a way of increasing your energy expenditure.
Carb refeeds :
After long periods of being in a caloric deficit, your body will adapt by burning less calories / decreasing your TDEE. To "boost" your energy expenditure, you do a carb refeed. You basically slightly reduce your protein and fat intake, and increase your carb intake by 200g+. The goal here is to eat way more calories than you'd eat on a non-refeed day. I don't recommend doing a carb refeed unless you haven't lost any weight for 2+weeks.
Links :
BMI calculator
TDEE calculator
How to measure BF%
Free food diary and calorie counter
I hope I didn't forget anything.
and tricks, and ask any question that comes to your mind. I'll do my best to help.
Difference between overweight and obese :
Overweight refers to an excess amount of body weight, not necessarily body fat.
Obese refers to an excess amount of body fat.
How to know whether you're in a healthy weight range or not :
Body Mass Index BMI : it's very commonly used, but isn't the best option for everybody.
Formula: weight (kg) / [height (m)]^2 or weight (lb) / [height (in)]^2 x 703
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5 – 24.9 Normal
25.0 – 29.9 Overweight
30.0 and Above Obese
Body fat % : More suited for individuals who are trying to build large amounts of muscle and/or using performance enhancing substances like anabolic steroids. It's hard to get an accurate measurement though. Very commonly used by bodybuilders.
For most people, high BMI correlates with high BF%.
Weight loss basics :
Weight loss is a very complicated biological process, but it follows a simple rule : If you burn more calories than you consume, you WILL lose weight. The amount of calories you burn in a day is referred to as TDEE which stands for total daily energy expenditure. You can estimate your TDEE using online tools, links below. Or you can do the math yourself :
BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate, which we need to estimate first.
Harris-Benedict formula :
MEN : BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.8 x age in years)
WOMEN : BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years)
Katch-McArdle formula (more accurate)
MEN and WOMEN : BMR = 370 + (21.6 x lean body mass in kg)
The most accurate way is getting it measured in a lab with sophisticated equipement.
You then multiply your BMR by a variable, according to the table below,
-Sedentary TDEE = BMR x 1.2 (little exercise)
-Lightly active TDEE = BMR x 1.375 (light exercise)
-Moderately active TDEE = BMR x 1.55 (moderate exercise)
-Very active TDEE = BMR x 1.725 (hard exercise)
-Extremely active TDEE = BMR x 1.9 (hard exercise daily)
You now need to substract x calories from your TDEE for weight loss. For each pound of fat you want to lose, you need a total deficit of 3500 calories. (So to lose a pound a week, you would need to eat TDEE - 500 calories per day). You can easily track your food intake using online tools or mobile applications, links below.
Appetite suppression :
The biggest obstacle people encounter while trying to lose weight is hunger. Fortunately there are many ways of suppressing you appetite. You obviously need to avoid calorie-dense foods, including fried stuff. Try to get your carbs from fruits and vegetables, as they are very filling. Another way of suppressing your appetite is eating big amounts of protein.
Studies have shown that an increased intake of protein produces an anorexic effect. Even though you don't need that much, eating 1g of protein per pound of body weight should help you feel fuller. Protein is also the most thermogenic macronutrient (that means you waste a lot of calories just to break protein down and digest it), so eating more protein can actually make you burn more calories. For weight loss, I recommend you eat 1g of protein and 0.5g of fat per pound of bodyweight per day, and get your remaining calories from carbs.
Aerobic exercise aka cardio :
Cardio can be a very useful tool, not only does it have many proven benefits, but it also increases your TDEE (i.e. it makes you burn more calories), meaning you can allow yourself to eat more food while losing the same amount of weight. Regardless of what others say, cardio is not necessary, it's just a way of increasing your energy expenditure.
Carb refeeds :
After long periods of being in a caloric deficit, your body will adapt by burning less calories / decreasing your TDEE. To "boost" your energy expenditure, you do a carb refeed. You basically slightly reduce your protein and fat intake, and increase your carb intake by 200g+. The goal here is to eat way more calories than you'd eat on a non-refeed day. I don't recommend doing a carb refeed unless you haven't lost any weight for 2+weeks.
Links :
BMI calculator
TDEE calculator
How to measure BF%
Free food diary and calorie counter
I hope I didn't forget anything.
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