Step 1: Find your energy needs
Everything requires energy to function and our bodies are no different. For the sake of weight, our main measurement of energy is calories and what we’ll focus on today is TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) or the amount of energy your body needs every day. So, let’s find that out.
I recommend this one: https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/
Great! Now we’ve got an estimate of your TDEE. We’ll see later how we can modify this to arrive at a more accurate version.
Step 2: Decide your weight goals
Now that we have your TDEE, the equation becomes quite simple.
If you’d like to lose weight: Eat less than your TDEE
If you’d like to gain weight: Eat more than your TDEE
If you’d like to maintain weight: Eat at your TDEE
How much less? How much more?
That’s up to you, but
Rules of thumb: It’s generally advised that males don’t eat <1500 calories a day and females don’t eat <1200 calories a day. Also, generally it’s best to keep any weight gain or loss <2 lbs a week.
Step 3: Track your daily calories
Now that we know our target daily calorie intake, we need to make sure we hit that amount daily. The best way to do this is by tracking calories. The most straightforward and easiest way to do this are with apps such as MYFITNESSPAL, LOSEIT, etc. The better you track your intake, the better results you’ll get.
Now for the easiest and hardest part:
Step 4: Stick with it
Follow the above steps, and I guarantee you will reach your goals. Simple right? Only one more step
Step 5: Measure and Adjust
Ideally, you should be measuring your body daily under the same conditions and writing this down (I advise weighing yourself first thing in the morning). Don’t worry too much about how your weight changes daily as this can be due to a variety of factors but focus on how your weight is changing weekly and monthly. For example, if your goal was to lose 1lb a week, and after your first month you’ve lost 3lbs then your deficit was likely not high enough. So if you’re TDEE was 2500 calories, and you were eating 2000 calories, you may adjust that to be 1800 calories a day. If after the next month you’re on target, great! If not, adjust accordingly. This is important, as the initial TDEE measurement may be off or as you lose or gain weight your TDEE will change as well. Thus, if you monitor your progress and adjust to hit your goals, you’ll get there that much faster. Good luck and I’m glad we could help you get started!