Quick Diet HowTo Community

While looking at this week’s numbers (below), I’ve discovered the obvious — reduce your calories, and you’ll still lose weight even if you don’t get quite enough exercise.

You see, if you take last week’s weight loss plan numbers and compare them with this week, you’ll notice that I reduced my daily calorie average by 250. And, even though my exercise to “calories burned” ratio is higher this week (a lower number is better); I lost 1.6 lbs anyway.

So, the lesson learned this week (to help you with your healthy weight loss): keep your calories down…you may not get in all the exercise you intend to do—weather, business, etc…

This week’s reduced numbers:

• Average calories: 1906/day
• Average exercise: 36 mins/day
• Average exercise cals burned: 160
• Last week’s weight: 267.2 (lbs)
• Today’s weight: 265.6
• Weekly weight loss: 1.6
• Weight loss 2010: 8.4
• Average weekly weight loss: 0.9
• Total weight loss since 2-25-09: 23.6

Welcome to the new format for my “Weight Loss Plan”. If you’ve been following “My Healthy Weight Loss Diet“, this is simply the continuation of those weekly posts–with more helpful information. Also, I’ve ‘reset’ the weight loss numbers to reflect my reductions (or weight increases) for the calendar year 2010 (that’s why it says “Week 9″).

Although, if you look at the weekly numbers (below) you’ll notice that I’ve also included the total weight loss since I started keeping track (2-25-09).

Okay, on with the business of losing weight. So, I lost 2.2 lbs this week, but it was a hard won battle. You see, I’m now keeping track of a new number: the “Average calories burned”. This week’s was 253. Now, I know what you’re thinking, and, yes, I obviously burned more than that if I lost weight. This number only reflects 5 different activities that are:

• Walk – 258 cals/hr
• Jog + Walk – 408 cals/hr
• Bicycle – 544 cals/hr
• Calisthenics – 544 cals/hr
• Windsurf – 204 cals/hr (this must be more!)

And, these numbers are for a 150 lb person. My reason for keeping track of, and calculating averages for, these numbers is purely for comparison from week to week. Here’s my point: last week I lost 5.2 lbs with a “burn number” of 244, which is lower than 253. My conclusion: you have to pay attention to the quality of the food you consume–I ate poorly this week, and as a result, had to exercise harder to lose even some weight.

The lesson for this week: if you want to lose weight fast, keep track of your calories and eat better food. Like they (constantly) say, “Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.” I’m beginning to think they’re right (the NIH). I’m going to the market today to get some “fruits and vegetables.” Let’s see what next week brings–stay tuned, and…happy dieting

This week’s newly formatted numbers:

• Average calories: 2156/day
• Average exercise: 44 mins/day
• Last week’s weight: 269.4 (lbs)
• Today’s weight: 267.2
• Weekly weight loss: 2.2
• Weight loss 2010: 6.8
• Total weight loss since 2-25-09: 22
• *NEW: Average weekly weight loss 2010: 0.9
• *NEW: Average calories burned: 253

Remember the Atkins diet? It was all the rage from the 70s through the early 90s. To this day, there are many folks who still try it, and–if you’re reading this–more people who want to give it a try. Now, if you want to participate in this particular diet plan, there are some precise details you’ll have to know; one of which is the Atkins diet food list.

What makes the Atkins diet unique is: it is highly restrictive in the initial phase. After only two weeks, however, the allowed foods list starts to increase. And, even though it can be difficult to stick with, there’s a plethora of people that swear it is worth the effort.

In the beginning, the Atkins diet food list is quite confining. In fact, you’ll be limited to a few different kinds of meat and a small number of vegetables. This initiation stage has hardly any carbohydrates allowed. This is intended to shift your metabolism into a new way of utilizing calories. The thinking behind this is: your body “decides” it is required to burn its stored fat. For some, it is uncomfortable at first, but you should begin to feel healthier after a few days. Also, some folks have reported amazement at how much they’ve lost at the end of the first week.

Don’t worry though, you are allowed to introduce some–limited–carbohydrates after exactly two weeks. You should still avoid complex carbs, such as bread, potatoes and pasta. At this phase of the Atkins diet your weight loss will start to slow down a little; this is normal. Your body’s metabolism will now be used to a better way of burning your food.

You’ll still have to limit your carbs, and if you do so, you should be losing weight weekly (weighing yourself daily is not recommended, as daily fluctuations can lead to letdown). Unfortunately for many, it’s almost impossible to maintain this diet because of their affinity for bread–pizza, sandwiches, etc. Many favorite foods are not allowed, and not included on the Atkins diet food list.

It is important to remember that when going on the Atkins plan, there are some things as crucial–or more–to your success than just the food list:

• prepare reasonably sized meal portions
• and, reduce your amount of fat intake.

There is a popular myth, that while on the Atkins diet, you can consume as much as–and anything–you want as long as you’re not eating carbohydrates. This is simply not the case.

One final note: you should definitely consult with your doctor before you begin this diet if you’ve had any history of a heart condition or cholesterol problem. Although this ‘low carb’ diet can be effective in getting your weight down, prolonged high protein/low carb diets can cause potassium–your muscles need it–loss, which is hard on the heart.