The age old question, this seems to be the #1 googled question around this time of year. Its so simple: Create a caloric deficit (Burn off more than you eat). Thats it, while its that simple, it gets a little bit more complicated if you really want to get involved on the science. 

First off, never go below your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) this is the number of calories you would burn if you laid in bed all day and didn’t move a muscle. Pretty much, the amount just to keep you alive. You can calculate this amount with a BMR Calculator which is found here. Then you use a formula called the Harris Benedict Equation, I know sounds fancy. This will tell how many calories you need to maintain your current weight based on your activity level. You can find that here. Once you know how many calories to maintain, you simply subtract 500 and eat that many calories. You don’t want to dip below 500, because you need that energy to exercise and build muscle. 

Even though you have your magic number, you need to keep in mind macros make a big difference. Macros are carbs, fats and proteins in your food. The percentages of each in your diet can be the difference in how hungry you are during the day. For instance, when you eat more carbohydrates it tends to be digested very fast and you will be hungry sooner. If you add protein and fat in there with the carbohydrates then it will be processed slower, allowing you to be satisfied for longer. Most people find that a 40% carb/40%protein/20%fat is a good breakdown for weight loss. Depending on how much cardiovascular activity you do, you might want to up your carbohydrates. Oh and carbs are not evil, they are awesome. No they will not make you fat, its excess calories that make you fat. Carbohydrates help fuel your body. You should be consuming 1g-1.5g of protein per gram of body mass. This will help build muscle that will help you burn more fat!

Now that you have your magic number, and understand about macros, you have to decide if you are a 3 meals a day person or 5-6. Personally I find myself much more satisfied when I eat 5-6 smaller meals a day. So If I eat 1800 calories a day to loose weight, then I am looking at 300 calories a meal x6. or 360 x5.

Thats the lesson for today!