Weight loss help?!

Weight loss help?

I have been going to the gym 2-3 times a week for the past year. I don't eat a lot of junk food and have tried to eat more often during the day to keep my metabolism going.....yet still have not been able to lose any weight. I think that I look better, but it's so depressing stepping on the scale every month. Any suggestions?

Weight loss requires that you eat less Calories than you use to maintain your weight. A pound of body fat is 3500 Calories that your body has stored. To lose that one pound of body fat you will need to consume 3500 Calories less than you need to maintain your weight.

I have no clue as to your current weight or your sex. Let's assume you are a 130 lb middle aged female with an average activity job (office work). You might need 15 Calories per pound of body weight daily to maintain your present weight. That would be 130 x 15 = 1950 Calories. Counting calories is a bore and a real pain. But if you were able to consume 1600 Calories a day, every 10 days you would lose 1 pound of body fat.

Fat from food contains 9 Calories per gram (about 255 Calories per ounce), while protein and carbohydrate contain 4 Calories per gram (about 113 Calories per ounce). This is why you need to watch your fat intake. The FDA guideline is that no more than 30% of your Calories should come from fat and a value of 20 - 25% is a better target if you want to lose weight. 20% of 1600 Calories is 320 which is 35 g of fat (about 1 1/4 ounce).

Make a habit of looking at the "Nutrition Facts" panels on the foods you eat. Look at the Calories per Serving, the Serving Size, and the Fat grams. Being aware of what you eat is a good start.

Numbers:

A normal individual will require 15 - 17 Calories per pound a day to maintain his/her ideal weight (depending on level of physical activity).

To lose a pound of fat requires a Calorie deficit of 3500.