Determining Your Caloric Needs
Knowing your calorie limit for weight loss during the week is essential. You don't need a rigid plan of 400 calories per meal, but you do need to know your total daily calorie allowance. If you know what you eat now, subtract 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. If you don't know how many calories you normally need per day, use the Harris-Benedict formula to come up with a rough estimate. Figure this by using this rather complicated formula: 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years) for women and 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in year) for men. Then, multiply by 1.2 if you're sedentary, 1.375 if you're lightly active, 1.55 if you're moderately active and 1.75 if you're very active to find your total calorie count.
The Best Eating Plan
The best eating plan during the week gives you both structure and a little bit of freedom. If you need to go out to lunch one day at work, plan ahead for what you can eat. Many restaurants have online menus, so if you know where you're going, look at the menu and plan your meal before you go. That way you won't be tempted by high-calorie offerings that sound good when you're hungry. Plan your meals during the week to include a low-calorie dessert once a day, such as a small dish of low-fat ice cream, to keep you from feeling deprived of all sweets, unless sweets act as a trigger for a sugar binge.
The Best Exercise Routine
The best exercise plan during the week is the one you'll actually do. If hitting the gym before work is best for you, go then. If going with a few friends after work keeps you motivated, then go for it. If briskly walking around the block with your neighbor after dinner keeps you in touch with what's going on and also provides the exercise you need, follow that plan. Aim for at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a minimum of three times a week and strength train two to three times a week for 20 to 30 minutes. Strength training includes lifting weights, using resistance bands and weight machines and performing exercises such as pullups and situps.
Pitfalls
Although spontaneity is the spice of life, it can sabotage your diet and exercise routine. When friends suggest stopping off for drinks or dinner after work on your gym night, it's hard and not always practical to say no. Plan ahead for pitfalls. You can change your gym night or ask to put off dinner for an hour or so while you hit the gym first. You may even motivate your friends to stick to their own exercise routines before dinner. If you know you have dinner plans one night, have a light breakfast and lunch, but not so light that you're starving by dinner. Following a diet during the week shouldn't feel like a jail sentence. Keep it flexible enough to include the changes that make life fun.
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