macronutrient intake
Calculating the Daily Calorie Deficit For Maximum Fat Loss
In books and articles on fat loss it is common to see arbitrary recommendations for daily calorie intake or deficit, such as 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,500 calories per day for men, or a deficit of 500 to 1000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week. The problem with arbitrary calorie intakes is obvious - not everybody has the same daily calorie expenditure so the resulting deficit will vary significantly between people. Apparently the problem with arbitrary deficits is not so obvious - many personal trainers and health professionals routinely recommend a daily calorie deficit of 500 to 1000 calories for everybody - a range that is too low for some and too high for others. › Continue reading
Basic Guidelines for Fat Loss
This is meant as a set of basic guidelines for fat loss, and is nowhere near a complete discussion of the topic. More advanced, detailed guidelines will be posted in future articles as well as an upcoming book.
While numerous factors affect fat gain and loss, by far the most important is energy balance - calorie intake versus calorie expenditure. If you consume more calories than your body burns over a period of time, you will gain fat. If you want to lose fat, you must consume fewer calories than your body burns. There are three basic ways to accomplish this: › Continue reading