So, the truth about weight loss. There is a lot of information online, in magazines etc about how to loose weight. There are many different diets and fads blasted around, all claiming they can create a better you. However, weight loss comes down to one main thing; a calorie deficit. You have to be exerting more energy (burning more calories) than what you are consuming. You also cannot target fat in a specific part of the body, fat loss comes from using stored fat as energy. So, when you see a video saying 'burn belly fat' don't be fooled.
Now you're asking how do I create a calorie deficit?
Well, firstly you need to know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). This is the amount of calories you need to survive while resting. If your day is spent in an office and meandering around the house in the evening use your BMR as your base point and minus of 20% of the calories to create the deficit. For example, the average female BMR is 2000kcal (calories) and the male BMR is 2500kcal, so if you're a women then you should only consume 1600kcal and if you're a man then consume 2000kcal and you've created the deficit we speak of.
Now, obviously there is a lot more at play than this and these estimates are subjective to weight, metabolic rate and how much energy you are exerting so, if you're interested in getting more specific to hit your targets sooner, contact The Mobile PTs (themobilepts.com).
As personal trainers and parents, the promotion of physical exercise is imperative to a healthy body and mind and you CAN create a deficit by actually EXERCISING which will do far more good than just reducing calorie intake. We'll cover the benefits in another post so stay tuned.