When wanting to lose weight, many people's first thought is to hit the gym harder and take away all the food they enjoy. While this can dot he job, it is not always necessary or sustainable.
To lose weight and more importantly body fat, we should be doing two things. Aiming to be in a calorie deficit and maintaining our protein intake.
Maintaining our protein intake helps us maintain our current lean muscle while dropping weight. If we can hold onto more muscle and lose weight we can assume the rest is water weight and fat, which will result in lower body fat and more defined muscles.
Being in a calorie deficit basically means we are eating less than our body needs to, to maintain our current bodyweight.
If you like math and want to figure out your maintenance bodyweight or Estimated Energy Requirements (EER), here is the formula:
EER= BMR X PAL
BMR (FOR WOMEN) = 655.1 + (9.56 x W) + (1.85 x H) - (4.68 x A) cal/day
BMR (FOR MEN) = 66.44 + (13.75 x W) + (5.0 x H) - (6.77 x A) cals/day.
(W = Weight in kilograms (kg), H = Height in centimetres (cm), A = Age in years)
Now multiply this by your physical activity level (PAL).
Very sedentary - 1.2
Sedentary 1.3-1.4
Light activity 1.5-1.6
Moderate activity 1.6 - 1.8
Heavy activity 1.8+
Now to be in a calorie deficit most people will need to be under the number above by 300-500 calories.
One of the easiest ways to get into this deficit is to move more during the day. Our steps and activity during the day is called our non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) and is basically any calories burned outside of sports like exercise, eating or sleeping. This includes garden work, housework, doing the groceries, walking to and from the train station or just going for a walk.
Now lets see how much of a difference all those little steps may make on two seperate days, a lazy Sunday and a working day during the week.
On a lazy Sunday, with no walks and minimal moving I may get somewhere between 2000-4000 steps. This would burn 109 - 218 calories throughout the day.
Now lets compare that to a working day. On these days I get anywhere near 10,000 - 12,000 steps, which is around 545 - 654 calories.
The difference between these two days can be anywhere between 427 calories and 537 calories.
This difference across the day is quite significant and ends up being the difference between achieving a calorie deficit or being at maintenance level (assuming I am achieving the calorie deficit by moving and not adjusting my food intake).
Even if you haven't done the math to figure out your exact numbers, chances are moving more and eating the same is going to help you achieve a calorie deficit. Try find ways to add those extra steps in during the day. Whether its walking to a place near by, parking a little further away from the shops or just getting off the couch and going for a walk.. all of these little activities will help!
Below are 3 tables which show you how many calories you may burn after a certain amount of steps at a certain height and weight. Scroll through and check out the difference between your lazy days and more active days. It may be the difference you need to achieve a calorie deficit!
Shoot through any questions below or feel free to message me privately to discuss your nutrition needs.
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