Hey cool! A new diet I can try! Maybe I’ll finally lose this weight for good!

So you lose some weight quickly with your new diet and meal plan…

Awesome!

A couple weeks pass by…

Wait! What? Somehow you’ve gained the weight you lost back.

Ok, time to try a new diet – things will be different this time.

So you lose some weight again.

Yes! It worked!

Uh oh – The scale is starting to creep up…

And before you know it, you’ve gained that weight back again.

You can’t seem to get rid of it!

Does this sound familiar?

Why is it that shortly after losing weight from your newest diet you will gain some or all of the weight you lost back?

It’s because the diets and weight loss plans that promise you immediate fat loss and quick results are not sustainable for long term success. They may allow you to lose weight quickly, but what’s the point if you can’t sustain that diet and keep the weight off?

In this article you will learn what really matters for you to lose weight and keep it off. You’ll learn the simple steps to develop healthy and sustainable habits that will get you on the path to successful weight loss for life.

Let’s begin!

When you want to lose weight and keep it off, the first absolutely necessary and essential step is to be in a calorie deficit. You need to be eating less calories than you are burning. This is the most important step. Period. There’s no magic pill or supplement, no hidden secret you need to find, and you don’t have to stop eating the food you love or completely change the way you are eating. In the end if you want to lose weight and keep it off it comes down to this – calorie deficit.

So how many calories should you eat each day?

Before you determine how many calories you are going to be eating each day, you need to know or have an estimate of your maintenance calories, maintenance meaning when your calories in and your calories out are equal. There are a number of formulas and calculators that you can use to estimate your maintenance calories, but to keep things simple for now you are just going to multiply your bodyweight in pounds by 14 to 16.

For Example:

If you weigh 200 pounds, you will take 14 x 200 = 2800 and 16 x 200 = 3200. Let’s assume that your daily maintenance calories are somewhere in that range of 2800 to 3200. If you are older, less active, or female you will want to stick to the lower end of your estimated calorie range. On the other hand, if you are male, younger, or if you are more active throughout the day you will probably be closer to the high end of your estimate.

Alright, now that you have your maintenance calorie estimate, what’s the next step to lose weight and keep it off?

Time to set your calorie deficit.

You want your calorie deficit to be sustainable. This is super important for you to keep off the weight you lose. We all know or have heard about someone who lost a bunch of weight quickly and then gained it back right away (or maybe you can relate?). This happens because their diet or deficit is not sustainable. They cut calories drastically, starve themselves for a couple of weeks, and then eat back all the weight when they can’t sustain a super aggressive deficit any longer.

Don’t do this.

Instead, start with aiming for around a pound of weight loss per week. Anywhere around a pound is going to be a much more sustainable rate of weight loss that you will be able to stick with.

Even with a modest sustainable deficit there may be times when you feel you need a break from your calorie deficit. If you are feeling this way you can increase calories slightly (by 200 to 300), or go back to your maintenance calories for a short period of time to give yourself a break. It’s better to slightly increase your calories than to stay restricted for too long, and end up binge eating.

Can you have a bigger deficit than this? That sounds too slow?

Sure, if you want – but realize the larger your calorie deficit the less sustainable it will be. Not only are you wanting to lose weight, but you want to keep it off. That’s why a modest gradual deficit is important for your long term success.

You might be so accustomed to seeing quick fixes and fast weight loss ads that 1 pound a week sounds slow.

First I want to ask you – What’s the rush? Why are you in a hurry?

No more quick fixes and rapid fat loss! Healthy sustainable habits is the new goal!

If you lose 1 pound every week, that’s over 50 pounds in a year!

You may not even have that much to lose.

Still sound slow?

1 pound of fat is equal to about 3500 calories, so to achieve this you are going to set your calorie deficit at -500 calories a day (500 x 7 = 3500). Using the low end of our example from above if your maintenance calories are 2800, 2800 – 500 = 2300. Having an exact calorie goal is fine, but don’t stress about being perfect with it. I would recommend aiming to be within 100 calories of your goal, for our example this would give a daily calorie range of 2250 to 2350. You don’t need to be perfect. All that really matters for you to lose weight and keep it off is to consistently be in a calorie deficit.

Remember – these numbers are just an estimate. They will be a great starting point for most people, but these formulas are not one size fits all and will not be perfect. You will need to make adjustments along the way, and some trial and error will be involved.

Now that you’ve estimated your maintenance calories and you have a plan for your starting calorie deficit, how will you know if you’re actually in a calorie deficit?

You need to track your food.

Weigh and measure everything you eat and drink. If it has calories, you need to record it.

I would recommend getting a food scale. This will make tracking your food a hell of a lot easier, and you will be more accurate and consistent.

Along with the foodscale, download an app to keep track of your calories for the day. It doesn’t matter which you use. There are plenty to pick from. Try some out, and find one you like. My go-to is Mike’s Macros. Keeping a food journal, and writing down all of your food is another option that can work well.

If measuring your food and tracking calories is something you haven’t done before, I know it can be a pain and it will take some getting used to. You don’t have to do it forever, but I would give it a shot – because it works!

Set a goal for yourself – can you track for a week?

What about a month?

I bet you can!

Tracking your total calories and protein will be more than enough for you to reach your weight loss goals (we’ll discuss protein more later). If you want to track all of your macronutrients (carbs, fats, and protein) that’s great, but not necessary for you to lose weight and keep it off. We want to keep things as simple as possible for now.

Along with tracking your calories and protein, you will need to monitor your weight. You can weigh yourself at whatever frequency you like. Just be consistent with whatever you do, and record your weight somewhere. Personally I prefer to weigh myself daily (I think weekly can be a good option for some people too), first thing in the morning after using the restroom. 

You might struggle with weighing yourself frequently, and that’s OK! I understand it can be tough, but start viewing the scale for what it is – it’s a machine that tells you your weight. It gives you data. Remember – that’s all it is. The scale is an inanimate object, it doesn’t determine your value as a person, and you shouldn’t let it dictate your emotions. Use the data the scale provides you to your advantage.

Don’t forget there are plenty of other forms of progress too. The scale is a great tool, but doesn’t tell the whole story.

You can take photos and measurements of yourself to compare.

How do your clothes fit?

Are you getting stronger and feeling more healthy?

How’s your energy and mood throughout the day?

Are you sleeping well?

Mental progress matters too! Don’t forget that!

Also realize your weight will not go down daily. Your weight loss will not be linear. Some days your weight will be up, other days it will be down, and you will have some periods of weight loss plateau.

Your weight going up does not mean you gained fat. There are a number of reasons outside of fat loss or gain that cause your weight to fluctuate including: sodium, carbs, weight from food, exercise, medication, alcohol, or your menstrual cycle.

Now Let’s talk about protein.

Eating a sufficient amount of protein each day is another key component for you to lose weight and keep it off. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient. It is going to keep you feeling more full than carbs or fats. Hunger can and will be an issue at some point when you are in a calorie deficit. Having sufficient protein will help keep that hunger at bay.

Along with being the most satiating macronutrient, protein also has the highest thermic effect, basically meaning that your body is going to burn more calories digesting protein than it would digesting carbs or fats.

Protein also contributes to building and retaining muscle mass. Everyone cares about their muscles, so do your best to keep them while cutting weight! 

Setting your protein intake doesn’t have to be complicated either. An easy starting point is taking your goal body weight and eating that many grams of protein per day.

Example: If your goal body weight is 140 lbs, then eat 140 grams of protein each day.

Simple, right?

Depending on your lifestyle you can adjust this to fit your preferences. Maybe you are vegan, you don’t like eating a lot of meat, or you only eat 1 or 2 meals a day. This might make it more difficult for you to get a higher amount of protein throughout the day, so you could set your protein goal a bit lower. Instead of 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal body weight, you could try a lower range of .6 grams to .8 grams.

No matter what you set your goal at, you want it to be an amount that will be sustainable and enjoyable. Not only are you trying to lose weight, but you want to keep it off!

So along with eating enough protein, what other food should you eat?

You should be eating nutritious food, but also eat the foods you love and enjoy. Get some protein, eat some fruits and veggies, but also allow yourself without guilt to indulge in moderation with the less nutritious foods you want to eat. You want the way you eat and your weight loss to be sustainable and enjoyable, so what’s the point if you are restricting yourself and you’re not enjoying what you eat? If you love pizza, find a way to work pizza into your calories occasionally. This doesn’t mean you should be eating pizza, donuts, and ice cream everyday, but if you want to eat something you should be able to! Having a better relationship with food will not only help you lose weight, but it will help you keep it off. Restricting yourself less means less binge eating, and more sustainable and enjoyable long term weight loss.

Now that we’ve covered your nutrition, let’s lift some weights!

You need to be strength training if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

Lifting weights is going to help you burn some extra calories, and help maintain as much of your hard earned muscle as possible while you are losing weight. Strength training while consistently eating in a calorie deficit will make you stronger, leaner, and you will end up looking a whole lot better than you did before.

If you are new to the gym and don’t have a good pre-existing routine, start with going 3 or 4 times a week. When lifting 3 times a week you can have a lower body day, an upper body day, and a full body day. Space your workouts out throughout the week so that you have rest days in between. If 4 days a week works better for you, you can have an upper body day, a lower body day, another upper day, and finish out the week with a final lower day. Try to get some rest days in here as well, so your workouts aren’t all on consecutive days.

If those don’t work for you, do what you can instead. Doing something is better than nothing, even if that means you are only getting to the gym once or twice a week.

No matter how many days a week you’re lifting you will want to be sure you focus on compound movements that will be using multiple muscle groups. Variations of the squat, deadlift, and bench press are all great options – plus there’s many many more! 

What about cardio?

Do cardio if you want to or if you enjoy it. Cardio is not essential for you to lose weight and keep it off. Yes it helps and it’s great for improving your health, but it shouldn’t be your primary tool for fat loss. You don’t need to go to the gym and toture yourself for hours on the treadmill. You are not going to outrun a shitty diet – so only if you are eating in a calorie deficit, getting enough protein, and strength training, then include some cardio if you want.

Consistency, discipline, and patience.

These 3 things are huge factors for your success.

If you are following all of the steps laid out above, but you’re not consistent – you will not succeed.

Consistency always wins.

This will make all the difference in the long run. To lose weight and keep it off you must be consistent, disciplined with pursuing your goals, and do what’s sustainable and enjoyable for you long term.

This doesn’t mean you need to be perfect. I would rather see you hit your goals 80% of the time consistently, instead of trying to be “perfect” all of the time – because that’s not sustainable.

There’s more to life than your fitness goals.

You will have days and times when you overeat, or maybe you will miss some workouts.

Don’t beat yourself up!

It’s ok – because if you don’t quit, stay disciplined, and get right back on track you will succeed.

Be happy, enjoy the moment, and learn to love the process of pursuing your goals.

It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it.

It will take time – be patient.

Use this time to learn and develop good habits and practices with your nutrition and exercise. Your fitness and health goals don’t just stop when you hit a certain point, you can always improve! Improve your relationship with the scale, and learn to eat in a way that’s sustainable and works for you.

To wrap things up remember the keys to lose weight and keep it off:

1. A Sustainable Calorie Deficit
2. Sufficient Protein Intake + eating in a sustainable way for yourself
3. Strength Training
4. Consistency, Discipline, and Patience

Make a plan, set some goals, and stick to what you’ve learned here. You will be well on your way to weight loss success!

And don’t forget to be happy, love life, and enjoy the process along the way!

There’s more to life than calories and weights!

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments you can contact me here.

And if you’re looking for some workouts to get started with, I’ve got 34 FREE workouts for you here!