The basics of burning fat and trimming inches

When women say they want to lose weight, what they really mean is they want to lose fat. But since many have trouble differentiating between the two they end up going on crash diets and losing muscle mass as well as fat. It’s not a healthy or sustainable way to lose weight in the long run and it can actually make weight troubles worse.

The most important thing you should know about losing weight is there’s no such thing as a quick fix.
How many calories do you need to cut?

There is a pretty simple equation - if you happen to know what your basal metabolic rate is and exactly how many calories you burn each day through activities ranging from sitting and standing to doing chores and aerobic exercise. Oh, and you also have to know how many calories you take in from food and drinks.
The formula is interesting, if you’ve got time to do the math, but most of us don’t. In general it takes 3,500 fewer calories each week to lose one pound. That’s 500 fewer calories each day.

If you are currently gaining weight consistently you’ll have to cut out more than 500 calories a day. For example, if you have been gaining a pound every two weeks it means you’re already taking in 1,750 calories too many. You’ll have to cut those 1,750 just to stop gaining weight. Then you can focus on cutting extra calories to starting to lose it.

Two ways to cut calories

You could choose to sacrifice the equivalent of one meal per day, or you could work towards enough physical activity that your eating habits don’t need to change much at all (although you’ll likely find yourself eating healthier as you get into shape and start feeling better physically and emotionally).

Consuming fewer calories and expending more with physical activity is the safest way to lose weight if it’s done right.