12 Key Facts About the Quickest Way to Lose Weight!
Once you start thinking about wanting to lose weight, you’re faced with a scary task. How do you make sense of all the conflicting information out there? April 2019 is our month of weight loss and obesity education! We’ll be examining diet plans, work-out plans, nutrition, weight-loss groups, the science of obesity and weight-loss, and even some things you can do to make money for losing weight!
We’ve identified 12 key facts you need to know if you want to find the quickest way to lose weight. Trying to figure out the quickest way to lose weight without understanding the basics, is like trying to find the fastest way home when you’re already lost.
Being confused by how to lose weight is normal. Don’t worry, weight loss is confusing and you’re not alone. In a recent post we talked about the importance of losing weight, and how expensive it could be. However, actually losing weight can be dauntingly intimidating. When I was younger it felt simple, eat less and exercise more. Ok, to be honest, when I was younger, I had the metabolism of a humming bird and probably couldn’t gain five pounds if I ate fast food for every meal. Those days are long long gone.
Affiliate Disclaimer – This post highlights one of our affiliates – BistroMD. If you decide to purchase from them, Thrifty Patient may make some money. FYI, our affiliate policy is very strict, and we turn down partnerships that don’t meet our high health, ethical, social, and savings standards.
1. Know Your BMI
The very first piece of information you should understand is your BMI, or Body Mass Index. This will tell you if you fall into an underweight, normal, overweight, or obese category.
Use this simple calculator to find out your BMI.
Why is this Important?: Trying to lose weight without knowing your BMI is trying to tell how much fuel is in your car without looking at the fuel gauge. It’s all just a guess until you take a look at the number!
2. Know That 1 Pound = 3500 Calories
There are 3500 calories (or kilocalories) in a pound. Unfortunately losing a pound isn’t as simple as just dropping 3500 calories. Among other things, you should also know what your estimated calorie count should be.
Why is this Important?: Calories are an important bridge between our food and our weight. It’s not the whole story, but an important piece in weight loss.
3. Know That Shortcuts, Fad Diets, Starvation and Exercise Alone Isn’t Enough!
The quickest way to lose weight is not by taking a shortcut. Also, sadly, exercise alone isn’t enough. Don’t get me wrong, the right diet, cutting down on calories, and exercising are all important. Remember, a short-term, weight-loss shortcut isn’t going to give you the lasting lasting weight-loss results you want. It’s better to make small improvements over a longer period of time.
Why is this Important?: A lot of companies will pray on people who equate weight loss with exercise or radical diets. Yet the science shows that exercise alone isn’t enough. And some of those fad diets can be questionable!
This leads us to one of the reasons we like BistroMD so much. They provide to scientifically-proven and nutritionally balanced meals.
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Remember, a short-term, weight-loss shortcut isn’t going to give you the lasting lasting weight-loss results you want. It’s better to make small improvements over a longer period of time.
4. Know That It’s Not Just What You Eat!
We like to think in simple terms. I’m overweight because I eat too much. If I eat less, I’ll lose weight. This misunderstanding is probably the most important fact you need to know if you want to discover the quickest way to lose weight.
The science of food, eating, and weight loss is fairly complex. Our bodies sense if we’re not getting activity. They treat different kinds of food differently! They are regulated by complex hunger hormones and are sensitive to chronic illness and disease.
Why is this Important?: Two reasons. First of all, this fact reminds us to resist the urge to oversimplify. Second, as the saying goes ‘know thyself’. It’s always important to talk to your doctor before starting any weight loss plan. They can help you identify if you have any health concerns that’ll derail your plans!
This is another area where BistroMD really shines. Their meal plans take a complex look at nutrition and dietary needs.
5. Know How to be Mindful When Eating
How much time do you spend eating? Do you rush through your meals, like a job to be done? Do you actually take the time to experience your meals or are you too busy thinking of the next thing you need to do?
Why is this Important?: The quickest way to lose weight involves thinking about eating and dieting as an experience that involves our mind, body, social connections, and spirit. Click here to learn more about mindful eating.
6. Know Calories in < Calories Out… but…
As you learn more about dieting, don’t forget the basic mantra “Calories in should be less than calories out”. What does this mean? To lose weight, the amount you’re eating in calories should be less then the energy you’re burning and the exercise you’re doing. Remember you need to burn off 3500 calories to lose a pound. However… this doesn’t paint the whole picture. As we’ve stated earlier, it’s tempting to oversimplify and treat all calories the same. It’s obvious that 2000 calories of carrots and 2000 calories of donuts should be treated differently.
Why is this Important?: This is important to keep in mind as a general rule. But we should also be aware of its limitations. If we can be sharp enough to keep track of our calorie intake / output and wise enough to know not all calories are created equal, then we’ve taken a mighty leap along the quickest way to lose weight.
7. Know That Calorie Quality Matters
This point is worth repeating twice. Not all calories are created equal, and calorie quality matters! Harvard Medical school has a great article that talks about how not all calories are created equal. Another benefit of the BistroMD meal plans is that they’ve created meals that already take this into account. With BistroMD your meals are custom designed by registered dietitians. Take advantage of BistroMD and get 25% and Free Shipping.
Why is this Important?: If you’re serious about losing weight, self-sabotage is going to be a daily problem. It’s very easy to fool yourself into thinking that a few hundred calories from a drink, or some fast food are just like any other calories.
8. Know That Weight Loss Requires a Whole-Body View
We don’t eat just because we’re hungry. People eat when stressed, they associate food with happy times and sad times. Can you think of a food you hated or loved eating when growing up? Do you still avoid / crave those foods now? We naturally attach psychological and social events to eating. Here’s an article from the Cleveland Clinic about the roles food plays in our lives and strategies to address the psychological aspects of food.
Why is this Important?: Dieting without anticipating the psychological or social impact creates needless barriers to success. Diets often fail, and not knowing of that failure is due to a physical, social, or a psychological barrier sets you up for future failures.
9. Know That With Plans, One Size DOES NOT Fit All
There is no one right plan or path to weight loss. You’ll read reports about diets like the Atkin’s diet and the Keto diet or about plans like BistroMD or Weight Watchers. Many people will claim that each plan is the quickest way to lose weight. But, always keep in mind that what works for others, might not work for you – and that’s fine! One of the reasons we like BistroMD is because it offers so many choices. They work to reduce the chance of failure by working with you to find a program that works the best for you.
Why is this Important?: Keep in mind that the quickest way to lose weight for OTHERS might not be the quickest path for YOU.
10. Know About Decision Paralysis
Decision paralysis is when you have so many options it’s hard to pick one – so you don’t pick any and postpone, or you pick them all and don’t get anywhere. There are so many diet options out there! Many will promise to be the quickest way to lose weight. Each will have true believers, heaps of evidence, and tons of success stories. This leads to an interesting problem. Which do you pick? Are you easily distracted and try every new diet?
Why is this Important?: Keep in mind that the quickest way to lose weight for OTHERS might not be the quickest path for YOU. Being aware of decision paralysis sets you up to create a plan to avoid it.
11. Know How to Identify Points of Failure!
Your weight loss plans are only as good as its weakest link. Do you drive past your favorite fast food place on the way to work? Are you trying to eat vegan but hate carrots? Are you starting your diet up at the same time a big audit is going on at work?
Why is this Important?: Stressors don’t make it impossible to diet, in fact if you can identify and get in front of problems, your chances of success will go way up!
12. Know When to Seek Out Support
There may be times when you hit a wall, or need advice on how to make your diet work. If you’re serious about losing weight, consider seeking out help. The quickest way to lose weight is through the hard-learned lessons of others.
Why is this Important?: