Managing Weight Loss

Manageable Challenges: A Realistic Way to Lose Weight

This program has been developed by the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, and we thank them for their work.

Science shows you will lose weight if you eat fewer calories than what your body burns for the activities of daily living. Your body burns energy (calories) for breathing, digesting food, your heartbeat, and other purposes. Your body also burns calories for when you move about your home or office or when you shop and for other easy activities. If you eat fewer calories than the amount your body burns for these purposes, then you lose weight.

Losing weight can be hard. You’re told you have to eat less, eat right, and get active. That’s a big “triple challenge.” So, most people either don’t try to lose weight or they become discouraged and quit after awhile. We say one challenge at a time.

“Manageable Challenges” starts by asking you to eat less. If you eat less, then you will lose weight. Once you are losing weight by consuming less, then you can start eating healthier food and exercising.

Manageable Challenges has no forbidden foods. You don’t have to take drastic actions like cut out all desserts or never eat French Fries. Such drastic steps often lead to failure or binging. Or, you may be so discouraged you never even try to lose weight. Although eating healthy food is certainly a healthy habit, the best first step is to eat fewer calories than what your body needs.

The main benefit of exercising is that it improves your health and mental well-being. But, it’s not a must for losing weight. Start out by eating less, and after you’ve lost some weight, then you can start exercising if and when you are ready.

This program will help you “bank” calories if you want to “save up.” Let’s say you want to eat a little extra at a party or special dinner in a few days. Then, you can cut back ahead of time which means you can indulge a bit more when the special occasion arrives. Or, let’s say you want to save up for a special dinner that night, then you make sure you eat less during the day.

If you’re unsure you want to start eating less, then try it for 2 or 3 weeks and then see if you’re ready. But, if you’re ready now....then start! Follow the steps below. And, of course, we recommend that you talk with your doctor about losing weight.

Follow These Steps for Losing Weight

Step 1: Set a Realistic Goal, Losing Even a Little Weight Will Improve Your Health

Set goals that are reasonable. Losing even some weight is great success. A 5%-10% weight loss will still make you feel healthier because you will be healthier. Manageable Challenges aims to help you reach a healthier weight, not necessarily a “perfect” weight. Don’t base your goal on some unrealistic beauty goal or when you got married or graduated from school. Don’t say “I’ll lose 10 pounds in 10 days.” Aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week. And be flexible. If you think you cut back too much on your eating, then cut back a little less. My goal is to lose __________ pounds.

Step 2: Pounds Per Week

How many pounds per week do you want to lose? Again, be realistic. We suggest only 1 or 2 pounds per week. I want to lose this many pounds per week: __________

Step 3: Number of Weeks

I will be losing weight this many weeks: _________ (simply divide the number of pounds you want to lose by the pounds per week, and you have your number of weeks).

Step 4: Start Date

I will start losing weight on this date: __________ You may want to share a Start Date with a friend or family member. Then, you and your weight-loss partner can give each other moral support. Or, you may simply want to tell someone else your Start Date so that person can help you make sure you start on that day. “But, what if I don’t start on my Start Date?!?!” It happens. Just pick another Date and try to be more determined to start.

Step 5: Find Your Daily Calorie Cap

This step will help you find out the maximum number of calories you can consume each day and still lose 1 or 2 pounds per week. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than the amount you consume If you want to lose 1 pound per week, then each day you have to consume 500 fewer calories than what your body burns for daily activities. If you want to lose 2 pounds per week, then each day you have to consume 1,000 fewer calories than what your body burns for daily activities. As we said earlier, your body burns energy (calories) for breathing, digesting food, your heartbeat, and other purposes. Your body also burns calories for when you move about your home or office or when you shop and for other easy activities. If you eat fewer calories than what your body needs for these purposes, then you lose weight. *Results are based on a formula presented in “The LEARN Program for Weight Management, 10th Edition.” Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D. Yale Rudd Center for food Policy and Obesity. To set your calorie goal for the week, just multiply your Daily Calorie Cap by 7. As you lose weight your calorie cap will drop. So, remember to calculate your new cap. -- OR – An Alternative Method If you don’t like using the table, you can simply decide you will consume 1,200 calories daily if you are a woman and 1,500 calories if you are a man and you will lose 1-2 pounds per week. But, this method is less accurate than the above method. And remember, this method provides you just an average. Obviously, some people will need more calories and others will need fewer. But, the numbers are close. You should also talk to your doctor about weight loss. Note: Do not consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day. Now that you know your Daily Calorie Cap, use the Weight Loss Tool Kit to help you lose those pounds. Click here >