How to Lose 50lbs in one year
By Martin Ebner
In this article:
» intro
» The breakdown: how to lose 50 lbs in a year
» Why you should avoid fad diets and extreme weight loss plans
» Calorie requirements
» Key factors to weight loss
» Some secret Weight loss weapons
» What might prevent you from losing weight
» Summary
Losing 50lbs in a year sounds like the sort of weight loss wonder claim that you might find on the front of a failing fitness magazine or click bate article. The difference being, I'm not here to sell you anything.
Admittedly, losing such a large amount of weight is far from easy. It takes a huge amount of effort, dedication, the right attitude, proper planning, preparation and let's not forget the right diet and exercise plan. If that all sounds like too much work, perhaps you'd be better off trying the latest diarrhea-inducing skinny tea?! I'm just kidding. Please don't do that.
While losing 50lbs over the course of a year may initially seem extremely daunting, believe me, it's more than attainable. The key, when faced with any big task, is to break it down into smaller bite-sized pieces. Quite literally.
The breakdown: how to lose 50lbs in a year
To lose 50lbs in 1 year you would have to lose a tad over 4lbs per month. That’s 1 pound per week and just 142 grams per day. Not so ambitious after all then!
Whereas some extreme weight loss plans can be very effective short-term, they are often very restrictive and the results are almost always temporary. Losing 1lb per week, on the other hand, is both a healthy and sustainable long-term weight loss solution. You can still live a full and happy life whilst enjoying some if not all of the foods you love in moderation.
Why you should avoid fad diets and extreme weight loss plans
While you may be desperate to shift those love handles ASAP, as tempting as it might be to try out the self-proclaimed “latest and greatest” fast-track weight loss plan or fad diet, it's extremely important that you think longer-term. If you've been making poor lifestyle choices for months or even years, it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to reverse the negative effects over the course of a couple of weeks or even months.
Extremely restrictive diets that encourage you to eat close to nothing and/or demonize entire food groups by cutting them out altogether (mainly carbs) can lead to a negative relationship with certain foods and even eating altogether. While the results you see in the mirror might be encouraging, believe me, the psychological effects of yoyo dieting are simply not worth it.
By opting for a slower, less tortuous approach to weight loss, you can still enjoy all of your favorite foods (in moderation) and you'll be far more likely to stick it out longer-term by making the lifestyle choices you need to maintain it.
Let me use Disney's the Tortoise and the Hare as a metaphor to further emphasize my point. Toby Tortoise represents slow and steady weight loss. Max Hare, on the other hand, represents erratic and unsustainable weight loss. Sure, the Hare gets off to a speedy start but then gets cocky and distracted forcing him to stop and start. The Tortoise meanwhile moves at a constant and steady pace. We all know how the story ends but the point is, long-term weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. You must be consistent and patient to make it to the end of the race and ultimately to your ideal weight.
Calorie requirements
Let’s now work out your daily calorie requirements.
Take your weight in kilos and Xs it by 27. For every decade over the age of 20, reduce that figure by 100 calories. The final figure is the number of calories it takes to simply maintain your current body weight. Keep in mind this figure doesn't take into account any form of exercise whatsoever.
In order to lose 1lb per week or 142g per day, you would have to reduce the figure above by 500 calories through exercise, diet or a combination of both, the preferred choice! This means that if you can reduce the number of calories you consume from the above figure by just 250 whilst burning off 250 calories per day through exercise, you are well on your way to losing a whopping 50lbs in one year.
Example: A 40 year that weighs 55kg would need 1285 calories per day to maintain their current weight. If they then performed 30-40 minutes of moderate cardio exercise per day for a total of 350 calories, to maintain their current weight they would need to eat 1635 calories. To lose 1 pound per week, they would have to reduce the number by around 500 calories to 1135 calories.
Note: as your weight decreases, so must your calorie consumption. It’s important to recalculate your calorie requirements using the equation above every 4 – 8 weeks.
I'd also like to point out that it's not all about calories. While yes, it's important to have an idea of how much you are consuming at the start so that you don't overeat, try not over-obsess or worry too much about the numbers day-to-day. Over time it will become more natural to you.
Note: When following a calorie-controlled diet, you may want to consider taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement as a safety net and to ensure that you’re getting all of the goodness that your body needs to function properly.
Right, now that we’ve established the short-term goals and done the math, let’s look at some key factors to losing weight.
Key factors to weight loss
MOTIVATION
Whether you need to lose 2lbs or 50, you must first decide why you want to lose weight and then find the motivation to take action. Whether that comes intrinsically (driven by an interest or enjoyment in the actions required to achieve a goal) or extrinsically (motivation that comes from an external source such as that from a recent health issue). Once you’ve established your motivations, use these to drive you forward and keep you on track during times of weakness and uncertainty. Whether it’s for enjoyment, a recent health scare, wanting to improve your confidence or to live a healthier and happier life with more energy, write it down and use it as your motivation, accountability, and as a reminder as to why you started.
CONSISTENCY
Consistency really is key when it comes to losing weight. It’s probable that over the course of the year, you’ll have a slight or even a big set back here and there but if you can consistently stick to your diet and workout plan, you stand a far greater chance of achieving your weight loss goal than if you start and stop. Must I remind you of the tortoise and the hare!?
Note: there is little point in starting a weight loss plan if you aren't fully ready or have little intent to stick to it consistently over the given duration. While dieting and exercising on and off does offer some short-term benefits, long term it will only lead to disappointment when you don’t reach your goals.
WILLPOWER
You will need to display a ton of willpower to lose 50lbs in a year. Any weight loss journey has its ups and downs so you must be psychologically prepared before you begin. Very few people will be sympathetic to your efforts so it's important to be strong and remember why you're doing this. Surround yourself with like-minded people that you know you can rely on to support you no matter what. It might also be a great idea to join a weight loss group or team up with a buddy.
Refer to "motivation" when you're feeling tempted to cheat on your diet and exercise plan.
WORKOUT PLAN
Burning 250 calories daily through exercise really isn’t that difficult. It doesn't require Dwayne The Rock Johnson’s strength or Fiona Kolbinger’s stamina. In fact, you can probably burn off 250 calories just by cycling or briskly walking to and from work.
If you're new to exercise, start slowly. As anxious as you are to lose weight, it's best to start light and gradually increase the regularity, length and intensity of your workouts as your confidence and fitness level increase. Remember the more exercise you do, the more you can eat. It's about fine-tuning and finding the balance that works for you.
Regardless of the types of workouts you prefer, it’s important to have an exercise plan or at the very least, a schedule to keep you on track. It can be as simple as a walk on Monday, cycle on Tuesday, rest on Wednesday, and so on and so forth.
DIET PLAN
Diet is probably the most important part of any weight loss plan. While exercise requires motivation, a can-do attitude and an hour max a day, diet demands planning, constant attention, and full commitment every single day.
When it comes to choosing your diet, be realistic. If you love wine, don’t kid yourself into thinking you’ll not touch a drop for an entire year. If you completely cut out the foods you love, you will suffer and inevitably crack during a moment of weakness.
Instead, choose a diet that includes the foods you enjoy in moderation. Don’t be tempted to overly restrict your calorie consumption and definitely don’t cut out entire food groups from your diet. Remember, 250 – 500 calories (depending on the exercise) is enough to create a calorie deficit large enough to lose 1 pound per week and 50 pounds over the course of the year.
Our Weight loss diet plan is a great place to get started. With a range of delicious foods and the perfect balance of carbs, protein, and fat, you can enjoy healthy and sustainable weight loss of up to 2lbs per week.
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TRACK PROGRESS
It’s really important to track your progress. Without some sort of measurement, it can be really difficult to gauge results.
Whether you monitor your progress on an app, the scales, in the mirror, with before and after photos, or by the feel of your clothes against your body, looking back at all you’ve achieved will act as great encouragement to see it through to the end.
Some secret Weight loss weapons
As well as following a calorie-controlled diet and solid exercise plan, there are a few things you can do to ramp up your body's fat-burning engine. Things such as fasted cardio, intermittent fasting, strength training, green tea, taking an all-natural fat burner like Burn Lab Pro and for men or Hourglass Fit for women before exercise, plenty of rest and good hydration can all help you edge ever closer towards your ideal weight.
What might be preventing you from losing weight?
If despite your best efforts you're still struggling to lose weight, it might be a good idea to schedule a quick call or check-up with your doctor. Certain health issues such as Hypothyroidism or under-active thyroid, hormonal disorders, testosterone decline, Cardiovascular diseases, stress and Diabetes are just some of the health conditions that can hinder weight loss.
Summary
Patience and consistency are the keys to any amount of healthy and sustainable weight loss. When you're ready to take action, work out your calorie requirements using the equation above, find your motivations (either intrinsic, extrinsic or both) and write them down, choose a start date, create a realistic diet and workout plan (if you're new to exercise start slowly and gradually increase the quantity and intensity of your workouts as your fitness level and confidence improve), surround yourself with like-minded, positive people that will support you through thick and thin and finally, get started!!
