Weight Loss and Nutrition
Nutrition
Calories
A Calorie is a unit of energy which can be used by the body to sustain itself.
What is a Calorie?
A Calorie is made up from one of 3 things. A Carbohydrate, a Fat, or a Protein. These are also called Macro-nutrients. All food is comprised of a mixture of these 3 Macro-nutrients.
1 Gram of Protein = 4 Calories
1 Gram of Carbohydrates = 4 Calories
1 Gram of Fat = 9 Calories
Macro-nutrients
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the prefered fuel source for the body. Being deficient in Carbs would mean a lack of energy, tiredness and concentration.
There are 2 type's of Carbohydrate: Simple and Complex:
Simple Carbs release their energy quickly. A good example of this would be Sugar.
Complex Carbs release their energy slowly. A good example of this would be Brown Rice
Fat
Fat's are a hugely important Macro-nutrient for the body. They promote healthy cell function as well as help maintain body temperate, healthy skin and hair, and also insulate organs. They can also be used as sources of essential fatty acids. Some Vitamins are unable to be used by the body without the presence of dietry Fat. Being deficient in Dietary Fat would make you more susceptible to diseases and illness.
Some examples of Dietary Fats would be Egg Yoke, Vegetable Oil, and Butter.
Protein
Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body. They are one of the building blocks of the body, and can also serve as a fuel source. Being deficient in Protein would mean your body will take longer to heal itself.
Some examples of Dietary Protein would be Chicken Breast, Egg White, and Tuna.
Weight Loss
The only way to lose weight is to consume less calories each day than your body burns off. The amount of Calories your body burns off is call your Basal Metabolic Rate. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (or BMR) is calculated from lots of factors, such as height, weight, muscle mass, gender and how active your daily life is.
Calculating BMR
An easy way to calcule your BMR is as follows: -
15 x Your weight in Pounds.
For example this would mean a 10 Stone woman would need 2,100 Calories per day to maintain her body weight, worked out as follows.
10 stone x 14 = 140 Pounds. 15 x 140 = 2,100.
How much do I eat to lose weight?
An easy way to lose weight is to simply eat 500 Calories less each day than your BMR. So the 10 Stone woman in the example would eat 1,600 Calories a day. This would mean each week she would be in a Calorie deficit of 3,500 Calories (500 x 7 days). 1 pound of weight equates roughly to 3,500 Calories, so eating at a 500 Calorie deficit would mean 1lb lost each week. Any increase in activity, such as any form of exercise, would mean more Calories being used each day and weight being lost quicker.
How quickly can I lose weight?
A safe amount of weight to lose in a week would be 1-2lb's for a healthy individual. Someone who is very obese could potentially lose weight at a faster rate, but losing weight too quickly will mean the body will break down Muscle and Vital Organs, rather than simply shedding excess body fat. This is counter productive in the long run because more Lean Muscle increases your BMR, meaning you burn off more Calories day to day.
What can I eat and when can I eat it to lose weight?
You can eat any food you like, when ever you like. No food is bad for you, but too much of any food is. The only restriction is that you don't eat more Calories than your BMR. Obviously foods which are higher in Fat will contain more Calories than Foods which are higher in Carbohydrate or Protein content, due to Fat having 9 Calories per gram and Protein and Carbs only containing 4 Calories per gram. Other than that you can eat all your daily Calories right before you go to sleep, as soon as you wake up, or you can split them up into 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 meals throughout the day. It doesn't matter and is entirely up to you.
How can I lose weight quicker?
Doing exercise such as running, jogging, or any other form of Cardio Vascular exercise will burn Calories. Strength training such as lifting weights will cause your body to develop more muscle mass, therefore increasing your BMR, as well as burning off Calories during the exercise. The best way to lose Fat is to combine Cardio exercise with Strength Training (for example jogging on a treadmill, then lifting free weights and/or using assisted weights machines.
Can I just not eat/eat very little?
If you try to lose weight by eating at a severe Calorie deficit you will be tired, lethargic, lacking energy and moody due to being hungry constantly; you will be very likely to give up on your diet due to food cravings and may put back on any weight lost, or even more.
I made this for the women at work, just copied and pasted it hope its readable. I myself used to be a chubby WoW player, now I lift weights and have visible Abs. Good luck!