3/22... Simply Science

                                                                                                                     Total Calories: 2090
Day 69…                                                                                                     Days till Weigh-In:  19 

The Simple Science of Weight Loss… 

To lose 9 pounds in 1 month, you must lose 2.25lbs per week. That’s 7,875 calories cut or burned per week. To lose this you can cut 562 calories from your diet every day in addition to burning 562 through exercise – or any combination thereof that nets an 1125 caloric loss - per day.

So that’s the textbook way to lose weight. Fact is, 3500 calories equals one pound, that’s undisputed (unless you believe some mathematicians who believe it’s 3555... but let’s not squabble). I’m overweight, which means I’ve exceeded that to the extent of number the additional pounds I carry. To lose it, I need to cut 3500 calories for each pound I want to lose. That can be done by diet or exercise or a combination of both. Seems simple? Technically it is. But there’s an X factor to consider… The X factor is this:

How many calories can I eat in one day without any exercise and still maintain my current weight -- no losses or gains?

That’s the X factor – and the challenge is to determine what the X factor is because that’s the caloric starting point that can help determine the exact number of calories needed to meet any weight loss goals. Finding the X factor is easier said than done. It will require 2-3 months of tracking data to help pinpoint it. I should mention that this variable also changes consistently as weight is lost – but that’s to be expected and its okay, being within a 50 calorie ballpark is AOK. Knowing the X factor will allow me to make caloric adjustments more quickly as I lose weight. It’s an evolution, and it’s somewhat predictable. But still exciting!

Tracker:
(not too shabby)

             

Daily Tracker
[42]	Date:	Saturday  3/22/14
Time	Qty	Food	Calories	Sub
8am	Breakfast
	1	English Muffin	110
	2	tbsp PB2	45
	2	tbsp Strawberry Preserves	100
	1	Hazelnut Crème Decaf	50
	30oz	Purified Water	0
		Breakfast Calories:	305
11:30 AM	Snack
	1	Organic Golden Delicious	60
	1	Coffee	50
		Snack Calories	110	415
1:30p	Lunch
	2	Slices MG Bread	220
	2	Tbsp PB2	45
	2	tbsp Strawberry Preserves	100
	1	Organic Bowl Mixed Greens	0
	1	Hazelnut Crème Decaf	50
		Lunch Calories:	415	830
	Snack
3p	1	Kind Bar	190
		Snack Calories	190	1020
	Dinner
	1	Cheeseburger, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles	510
	1	Lg. Onion Rings	450
	1	Unsweetened Iced Tea	0
	2	Glasses water	0
		Dinner Calories	960	1980
	Snack
	1	Chocolate Chip Cookie	120
	1	Mini Chocolate Frosted Cupcake	230
		Snack Calories	350	2330
		Total Calories Burned	<240>
		Total:	2090
		***Daily Caloric Goal:	1960
Water (1 cup per circle)
O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O  O   O  O  O			10 cups
1 cup = 8 fluid oz = 0.24 liters
Time	Activity		Burned
60 min	Walking		<240>
*Calorie/Activity calculation:  20 or 30 Calories for every 5 minutes (depending on exertion)

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