Losing Weight: Tools to help you lose weight

There's nothing mystical about losing weight. You will lose weight if you get your energy balance right. Here's how to do it. Losing weight in Steps 1-3.

Losing Weight

It is a matter of fact that if the number of calories you consume is less than the number of calories you expend, you will lose weight.

Losing weight can be difficult in today's world of necessary speed and convenience - it's very easy to eat and drink too many calories without even realising. Many of the foods we eat today are highly concentrated in calories - particularly calories from fat and sugar. Many processed foods rely on these components to make then palatable, sabotaging your efforts to lose weight.

Within a few days of starting to use your Weight Loss Resources Kit you'll have learned a great deal about your eating habits and how you can lose weight. You will develop an awareness that will make losing weight easier.

Knowledge is power, because it provides the foundation on which good decisions are made. Using the Weight Loss Resources Kit will give you the knowledge you need to lose weight and stay slim for the rest of your life.

Throughout this guide we use an example of a person losing weight, to show you how the kit works. Our Example is based on a 40 year old female of 5'5" tall who weighs 12st 7lbs and is moderately sedentary, and who has chosen to lose weight at a rate of 1½lb a week.

Losing Weight Step 1: Find out where you are now

The first step is to weigh yourself and, if you do not know to within an inch, measure how tall you are. Once you have these measurements, look up your body mass index (BMI).

Record your start date, start weight and start BMI on your results graph. You'll notice that the weight scale on the left hand side is not completed - this is so that you can personalise it with a scale that is appropriate for you. For example, if your start weight is 12st 7lbs, start with 13st at the top of the scale and work downwards to 10st 5lbs. Once you have written your scale onto the graph, mark your start weight with a dot or a cross on the thick red line at the top of the scale.

Your start date, weight and
body mass index

X marks the spot! Your start weight

Your goal date, weight and body mass index

Here's where you're going - your target line

Example: Results graph

Losing Weight Step 2: Set a goal

Losing weight at a pound a week is probably the best rate of loss for achieving sustained, healthy, permanent weight loss. If you have more than a couple of stones to lose, or are in a hurry to lose weight by a certain date, you could start out at 1½-2lbs a week and see how you get on. If you begin to find the daily calorie allowance at this level too restrictive, slow you rate of losing weight a bit - it's better to keep going at a pound a week than to give up because trying to lose weigh at 2lb a week is making you miserable!

Once you have decided the rate of loss with which you are comfortable, plot it on your results graph (in pencil, in case you want to change it) and draw a target line. Our example shows a target line for losing 1½lbs a week. You can now see what your goal weight is for the end of the twelve week period.

Losing Weight Step 3

Find out how many calories you need to lose weight at your chosen rate of loss.

Tracks progress as you lose weight

You're now ready to start working toward your goal!