As engineers with a combined twelve years of health coaching experience, we needed to create a data-driven way for our clients to sustainably lose weight in 30 days.
Our 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge is backed by science and numbers. The goal of our 30-day weight loss plan is to strip away the fluff and track numbers related to weight loss for one month.
You have never tried this 5 numbers approach before. And it’s going to work!
This free online weight loss challenge is for the analytical person who is willing to target and record numbers using a 30-day weight loss challenge tracker.
Time invested in this challenge WILL remove the mystery behind weight loss.
As we always say, you can’t improve if you don’t know where you began. For us as engineers, that always starts with tracking numbers.
30-day weight loss challenge
Alex and I are both engineers. We left our corporate jobs to travel and pursue a business aligned with our passion — helping couples to engineer their healthiest and happiest lives.
Now, we spend our days researching and self-experimenting ways to optimize our health. The 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge includes tried-and-true metrics (backed by science) that will help you lose weight and keep it off.
The 30-day challenge for weight loss is for you if you are willing to track and record five numbers every day. Yes, just five.
These numbers (we’ll explain all five in detail below) will help you understand weight loss and how your body loses weight.
30-Day Weight Loss Challenge RESTRICTIONS
Restrictions? There are none.
The goals was to keep this weight loss challenge as simple as possible. Plus, restrictions and a deprivation mindset are counterproductive. Any diet restricting calories or a macronutrient like carbs is a failure waiting to happen.
The goal is for you to lose weight, but, just as necessary, to understand why you are losing weight so that it’s sustainable.
Too many weight loss challenges available online involve a long list of what you can’t do, can’t eat, an in-depth meal plan, and recommended exercises.
With our 30-day weight loss challenge at home, you get none of that. But what you do get is more focused and meaningful.
In our free online weight loss challenge, we reduced the overwhelm by only asking you to track five numbers a day.
Therefore, there are no restrictions, as long as you can hit each number target daily. Of course, these five numbers are going to nudge you in the right direction and show you how to lose weight in 30 days.
That’s why you don’t really need an exercise plan, in-depth meal plan, or definitions about what is or is not junk food. However, we will share some recommendations to guide you.
What You’ll Need
You’ll need a device that counts your steps. If you don’t have one, we recommend buying this wearable fitness tracker. At around $35, we think it’s just as good as a FitBit or Apple Watch for tracking fitness and sleep.
Having a wearable that tracks daily calorie expenditure, like an Apple Watch or Fitbit or MiBand will make your life much easier. Not to mention, the data will be more accurate.
You’ll also need access to the free MyFitnessPal app through your phone (we prefer the mobile app) or computer.
We highly recommend having a buddy for the 30 days of the weight loss challenge. The best thing you can do is rope in your significant other or spouse. This makes you 3X more likely to finish and get results.
Shop our recommended tools for the weight loss challenge below.
Buy on Amazon
What Does The Free Weight Loss Challenge Include?
Everything you need to complete this 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge at home is included in this post. To make your life easier, we created a cheatsheet and 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge Tracker.
Once you download this, everything will be sent to you as a printable PDF.
There are five number targets for you to hit daily (or weekly in some cases). In this article, we’ll instruct you on how to collect or calculate the five number targets. These will be summarized in the printable PDF.
You don’t even need a scale. It’s not important enough for this weight loss challenge. While the number on the scale matters for weight loss, these other numbers are significantly more important.
In this 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge, we’ll focus on the numbers that give you the highest return for sustainable weight loss. If you have questions or are looking for more personalized support, please reach out in the comments.
Posting in the comments is preferred (since that conversation will help other readers), however for direct support from Alex and me, you can reach out via email as well.
Also included in the program, are helpful tips for weight loss such as workout recommendations, rules for drinking alcohol, and encouragement to try both fasting and metabolism tracking.
We recently finished a 3-day water fast and our experience and results were mind-blowing!
In the below article, we share our before, during, and after story, results, and plan that you can replicate during (but ideally after) the 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
Getting Started
In the following article, we are going to outline the numbers that you’ll be tracking during the 30-day Weight Loss Challenge.
We’ll talk about why these numbers are important to weight loss, and how to track them. There is some math involved. However, no, you don’t need to be an engineer to do any of this.
To get started with the free challenge, grab a pen and paper so you can write down the numbers you’ll be tracking during the challenge.
If you decide to buy the upgraded challenge, sign up below, and then, print the 30-day weight loss challenge tracker sheet PDF so you have it as a resource while reading about the challenge numbers.
30-Day Weight Loss Challenge
As engineers with a combined twelve years of health coaching experience, we needed to create a data-driven way for our clients to sustain weight loss.
Too many weight loss challenges involve a long list of what you can, cannot, and need to do every day. We’ve reduced the overwhelm and only require you to track five numbers a day — calories, steps, fiber, sleep, and waistline.
You’ll track five numbers daily to give you the highest return for sustainable weight loss. As a bonus, we’ll share our Weight Loss Bundle, with strategies, progress tracking tools, and additional weight loss plans.
30-day weight loss challenge numbers
Everybody is unique. And every body is unique.
That’s a significant contributor to why weight loss is confusing, complicated, and mysterious.
Ages, gender, body composition are influential variables. Then there’s fitness level, food preferences, physical limitations, and an increasingly hectic lifestyle.
So, when we talk to couples about their weight loss goals, where do we begin?
It’s not all about replacing processed foods with more vegetables. Or, cutting out the simple carbohydrates to eat more carbs loaded with fiber. Of course, we recommend a structured exercise program, but that’s not where to begin either.
Where do we begin? We have to start with the numbers. After all, math is the only universal language. Despite all of our age, gender, and body composition differences, we all have this in common:
To lose one pound, we need to create a deficit of 3500 calories.
When you follow the number targets in this 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge, you will lose weight. If you are wondering how quickly you should be losing weight, we include a graph in our article titled “How Long Does it Take to Lose 20 Pounds.”
So, let’s dive into the numbers.
NUMBer 1 = calories
Why calories are important:
Since your goal is weight loss in 30 days, you must know your calories.
To lose a pound, you have to create a deficit of 3500 calories. Conversely, to gain a pound, you need to eat 3500 calories more than your body burns.
Trying to lose weight without knowing your calories is like trying to train for a race without knowing the distance.
Did you know that an excess of 200 calories per day adds up to 20 pounds in one year?
What’s more, is both consuming an excess of calories AND too few calories can cause weight gain.
That’s why it’s so important to know your calories. Since calculating your calories is the most challenging component of our 30-day weight loss challenge, we’ll tackle this first. So bear with us.
How to track calories:
1. First, There Are Calories In
Calories in is also known as your Daily Caloric Intake (DCI). The best way to track this is through the MyFitnessPal mobile app. You’ll need this app to measure fiber intake as well, so it’s highly useful.
Open up the free MyFitnessPal app, and start keeping of daily diary of everything you eat and drink.
Use this calculator to determine your target calories.
The MyFitnessPal app will output your actual calories in, or, DCI. Record that number daily and make sure you’re close to the target you calculated.
In the picture below, I would record 2,803 calories in.
2. Next, There Are Calories Out
Secondly, we need to track calories out. These are calories burned to sustain life (your Basal Metabolic Rate), plus calories burned from exercise.
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) + calories burned from exercise = calories out
Option 1: Without using Apple Watch or FitBit (less accurate)
You can calculate your BMR here.
Take that value and add the number of calories you burned during a workout.
If you don’t have a way of tracking calories during your workouts, like calorie burn from a treadmill or chest strap heart rate monitor, use this calculator for a rough estimate.
Option 2: Using Apple Watch or FitBit (more accurate)
Both Apple Watch and Fitbit will tell you how many “Total Calories” you burned in 24 hours.
With Apple Watch, open the Activity app on your phone and swipe right under the Move Ring goal. Then, you’ll see “Active Calories” and “Total Calories.”
3. Final Number: Calorie Deficit/Surplus
Calorie deficit or calorie surplus is the critical number to track during the 30-day weight loss challenge at home.
If you have a healthy deficit, you’re on your way to losing weight. More on what a healthy deficit is soon. However, if you have a surplus, you need to course correct.
Option 1 (using calculators):
Calories in – (BMR + calorie burn estimate) = calorie deficit/surplus
Option 2 (using Apple Watch or FitBit):
Calories in – Total Calories = calorie deficit/surplus
Record your calorie deficit or surplus on your weight loss challenge tracker.
For example, let’s say your BMR is 2000 calories, and you burn 600 calories during your workout. Your total calories are 2600.
If you want to lose 1 pound per week (this is a healthy sustainable rate of weight loss), that’s 3,500 calories/7 days which is a deficit of 500 calories per day.
Calories in – 2600 total calories = -500
Solve that equation, and you can determine that your calories in or DCI should be 2100 calories. During this one-month weight loss challenge target a calorie deficit of 500 calories.
Again, this should yield about a pound of weight loss per week. Before moving on to our healthy calorie guidelines, let’s go through one more example.
In the picture below, you can see that my Total calories out equal 2,581. And my previously shared screenshot showed that my DCI (calories in) from the MyFitnessPal app was 2,803.
So I would do the following math.
2,803 (calories in) – 2,581 (total calories) = 222 (a calories surplus).
If my goal was to lose weight, I didn’t achieve it on August 11th. I would have had to eat less or move more to hit my -500 calorie target. Fortunately, my goal was to maintain or gain weight so this is right on target.
4. Helpful Calorie Guidelines
Breaking these two calorie rules that will completely destroy your weight loss results
1. Never consume fewer calories than your BMR requirements. If you do, you’re your metabolism will plummet and you’ll gain weight. This is the problem with a lot of fad diets.
2. As mentioned in our article on managing your diets as a couple, women should consume (DCI) no less than 1200 calories and men no less than 1600 calories. If you’re below those thresholds, you will not lose weight.
We repeat: If you eat too few calories you will not lose weight.
Instead, your body will preserve calories in the form of body fat. Surprisingly, one of the most common weight plateau solutions is eating more food.
Number 2 = steps
Why steps are important:
Activity is essential. When we sit for 90 minutes, our bodies go into a state of hibernation. Even if you work out for an hour, 7-days a week, you won’t undo the damage of inactivity.
During the 30-day weight loss challenge, your target is 12,000 steps.
A recent study published in the journal, The Obesity Society, concluded that adult dieters who lost 30 pounds and maintained or continued to lose weight tracked 12,000 steps per day.
Overweight adults only tracked 6,500 steps.
Your 12,000 steps are about 6 miles. We still encourage you to exercise, but, rest assured, if you hit your 12,000 step target, you are on track to lose weight.
Please, no cheating and strapping your watch to the dog. And for the over-achievers, you can use our ‘Walking to Lose Weight Chart‘ to set your weekly mileage target.
How to track it:
We have Apple Watches to track our steps. Of course, a Fitbit or pedometer works fine too. Before we had our Apple Watches, we used this low-cost, accurate Mi Band 3 Fitness Tracker.
If you don’t have a step-counting device, check to see if your phone can estimate your steps or invest $26 into a Mi Band.
Number 3 = fiber
Why fiber is important:
Most unhealthy, processed foods don’t contain fiber. They have been stripped of it and are no longer considered a “whole food.”
A 2018 study concluded that adult dieters who consumed 30 grams of fiber per day lost 5 pounds without making other lifestyle changes. Fiber is so important because 97% of adults in the United States are fiber deficient.
Processed foods contribute to weight gain, which is a known fact.
Researchers at Pamona College (published in Food and Nutrition) fed two groups of adults meals identical in calories, fats, proteins, and carbs.
One test group from whole foods (with fiber) and the other from processed and packaged foods (without fiber and with added junk). They measured the calories that were metabolized and concluded the following:
Processed food subjects only burned 1/2 the calories. This is why processed, fiberless foods lead to weight gain.
Fiber is important for weight loss because you can eat fewer calories without feeling hungry. This fiber target ensures that you are eating healthier foods. It’s also great for digestion.
How to track it?
Since we’re already using MyFitnessPal to track daily calories from food, this is easy. Using the free version of MyFitnessPal, you can see your grams of fiber.
In our 30-day weight loss plan, the target is 30 grams for men and 25 grams for women.
But don’t stop there. Get as much fiber as you can and look to vegetables, complex carbohydrates (containing 1 gram of fiber per 10 grams of carbohydrates), and beans.
In the picture below, you can see that I consumed 63 total grams of fiber. Well above the target of 30 grams.
number 4 = sleep
Why sleep is important:
Sleep and weight loss are closely linked. There’s a lot of science on why we need sleep to be healthy. To sum it up bluntly, you’re screwed if you are sleep-deprived and trying to lose weight.
When you’re tired, your mind and body crave an unhealthy lifestyle. Your body wants to sit on the couch and watch TV, and your mind craves convenient snacks that are loaded with sugar or salt and high in calories.
If you need more data (we’re glad you like data as much as us), this study makes my above point clear. One 2-week study had randomized, dieting adults to sleep either 5.5 or 8.5 hours each night.
Subjects who slept 8.5 hours lost 55% more body fat and gained 60% more lean body mass (aka muscle) than subjects who only slept 5.5 hours.
We are obsessed with sleep and you should be too if you want to lose weight (or gain muscle) in the next 30 days.
Exercise and dieting are significantly more fruitful when we prioritize quality sleep. To help you improve, read this article on tried-and-true processes and products to help you sleep better.
How to track it:
It’s easy to track the number of hours you sleep. So, make sure you record it on your weight loss challenge tracker.
If you have an Apple Watch, download and sync to the free Pillow App.
When you forget to count the hours you slept, the app keeps a history of that. It also rates your night sleep quality based on time asleep, awake, and in REM sleep.
Remember, your goal is 8 hours or more per night of sleep. If you have the app, also track your sleep quality %.
In the picture below, you can see that I slept 8 hours and 19 minutes, with a quality of 80%.
Number 5 = Waistline
Why your waistline is important:
No, the act of measuring your waistline will not help you lose weight. But, it’s one of the best ways to measure progress in this 30-day weight loss challenge.
No matter your height or build, if your waist measures more than 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women, you’re considered overweight.
Not to mention, you’re at higher risk for obesity-related health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, etc.
A scale is useful as well, but inches around your waistline is a more accurate metric to track.
How to track it:
This self-measuring, retractable tape is the most accurate way to measure. Or, you can just steal one from your mom’s sewing kit.
Measure your waistline circumference two inches below your belly button.
Record this number and watch it change during our 30-day weight loss challenge.
You can also record your weight on the scale if you have one of those. That is useful data to track as well. However, we feel that the waistline measurement is a more reliable metric.
In our article, ‘Measuring for Weight Loss,’ we share the best metrics to track. We’ll teach you how to measure fat loss and weight loss, and recommend the most accurate tools.
For an in-depth guide on taking body measurements and a free printable PDF, check out our ‘Fitness Tracking Body Measurement Chart.’
30-Day Weight Loss Challenge
As engineers with a combined twelve years of health coaching experience, we needed to create a data-driven way for our clients to sustain weight loss.
Too many weight loss challenges involve a long list of what you can, cannot, and need to do every day. We’ve reduced the overwhelm and only require you to track five numbers a day — calories, steps, fiber, sleep, and waistline.
You’ll track five numbers daily to give you the highest return for sustainable weight loss. As a bonus, we’ll share our Weight Loss Bundle, with strategies, progress tracking tools, and additional weight loss plans.
Bonus Weight Loss Activities
If you purchase the upgraded version of the challenge, we’ll provide support and share additional weight loss tips via email.
1. Track Your Fitness
We designed a fitness test to benchmark your fitness level and measure progress periodically.
Take our Fitness Test before starting the 30-day weight loss challenge and then again after. This will motivate you to get in those steps and make progress daily!
2. Lift Weights
Weight lifting increases lean muscle mass, which significantly boosts metabolism and increases your BMR.
Ever wonder why it’s harder to lose weight as we age? Yes, that’s because our metabolism is slowing down. But, we can combat that by lifting weights.
Weight lifting is an excellent way to lose weight, as shown in Alex’s weight lifting transformation story. If you’re not comfortable lifting weights, we recommend you follow one of Beachbody’s structured programs with professional instruction.
While we always follow Beachbody Workouts, we have created other free programs to supplement the weight loss challenge.
First, a great way to increase lean muscle mass is our 30-Day Ab Challenge.
Second, a popular resistance training plan to go along with our weight loss plan is our 8-week, full-body Resistance Band Workout Routine.
3. Drink Water Only
Alcohol should be enjoyed in moderation, but not during the 30-day Weight Loss Challenge. Instead, drink lots of water.
Target at least half of your body weight (pounds) in ounces. Or, if you want to keep it simple and feel amazing, try drinking a gallon of water a day.
4. Read a Good Book
Since your goal is to lose weight and develop a healthy lifestyle, books are your best friend.
We like to read a variety of books written by authors with different backgrounds and beliefs. Therefore, we can determine what best fits our lifestyle. You can pick one from our list of recommended health and nutrition books.
Or, just take my word that this is the best health and nutrition book of all-time!
5. Cook At Home
If you eat out all the time or heat pre-prepared meals at home regularly, weight loss is going to be challenging. Learn how to cook at home and try to prepare 90% of your meals at home.
Here is a healthy (and cheap) grocery list for you to use.
Additionally, these are our 5 favorite meals to prep (in bulk) at home and eat during the week.
6. Try Fasting
We have been intermittent fasting since 2018, and have experienced the scientifically proven health benefits of intermittent fasting. In addition to increasing longevity, weight loss, and muscle gain, your productivity will benefit from fewer meals to prepare.
For many, transitioning to intermittent fasting can be difficult. Therefore, we wrote an ‘Intermittent Fasting How To Guide‘ to help you successfully start a 16/8 daily intermittent fasting plan.
In 2020, we tried our first 3-day water fast and we highly recommend trying this after you complete the 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge. If you have questions about whether or not this is a fit for you, leave them in the comments and we’ll discuss.
7. Track Your Metabolism
A few years ago, this tip wouldn’t have been useful. For years, the only way to get metabolic data was in a lab. This was far too expensive and inconvenient for anyone who wasn’t a professional athlete.
But now, you can get this information immediately and at home with a little device called Lumen.
It works like a breathalyzer and measures the carbon dioxide in your breath. Not only will it tell you that you’re burning 25% fat and 75% carbs at that exact moment, it will make recommendations on what to eat today to optimize your metabolic flexibility.
We’ve tested it for months now, and it’s mind-blowing. We discovered that our bodies use fuel completely differently, despite eating all of the same meals. I discovered that my fasting window is much shorter than Ryan’s and we both needed more fat and protein in our diet to increase metabolic flexibility.
Focusing on metabolic flexibility is the best way to lose weight consistently because it is influenced by four pillars—movement, food, sleep, and stress. As you optimize these, weight loss comes more easily.
We don’t talk about it much in this 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge because it’s not free. But, if you’re ready to zero in on your weight loss, the Lumen is the most helpful thing you can get if you have $250 to spare and our $50 off code RYANANDALEX.
30 Days Later: Keeping Weight Off
For example, if you’ve created a calorie deficit but can’t fit into your jeans, you may be retaining water around your menstrual cycle or had a salty meal the night before.
If this is the case, check the history of your food journal on MyFitnessPal. Look for patterns of your body disagreeing with a particular type of food.
By going through the exercise of tracking your five daily numbers, you’ll become familiar with the types of food you need to be eating as well as how much activity you need to sustain. All of these are important tools as you work towards nurturing a healthier lifestyle.
After 30 days, we recommend that you continue following your tracker sheet. We don’t check these numbers daily, but we do at least monthly because they will change over time.
If you feel like you’ve hit a weight plateau, would like a recommendation for a new workout routine, or need nutritional guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us in the comments below.
Or, you can email us at ryanandalex@ryanandalex.com.
Other Weight Loss Plan Recommendations
There are three other weight loss programs that we strongly recommend based on our personal experience and the experience of our clients.
1. Best Personalized Plan with Support: Lumen
After three months of testing, we are still fascinated that a little device can tell you not only, in real-time, what your metabolism is doing, but what to eat today based on what it is. Here’s a story from Alex:
This morning, I sat down with my Lumen and cup of coffee and exhaled into the little pocket-sized device. My body was burning 95% fat and 5% carbs. My body was burning stored fat. Great.
Although I had been ready to grab my granola, I decided to wait a little longer to capitalize on that.
Scrolling through the app, I saw that my measurement updated the day’s meal plan. It was a low-carb day, with macro targets of 66 g of protein, 97 g of fat, and 105 g of carbs. Of my carbs, it recommended that I eat 80 g (or 76%) of my carbs by lunch.
An hour later and after a workout, I went back to my Lumen. It had updated once again as it connected with my Apple Watch and saw that I had exercised. It recommended that I add a bit more protein. Cool, can do.
Once more, I exhaled, and 10 seconds later saw that my metabolism had shifted to burning 50% fat and 50% carbs. I had learned from Lumen that once my body switches back to carb burn mode, I’ve fasted too long. Noted, it seemed like a 13-hour fast was just right for me today.
With that, I grabbed my granola, happy that I didn’t waste more time fasting because I was h-u-n-g-r-y!
The Lumen metabolism tracker is the most advanced health technology available today. It’s a peek into the future. We love Lumen, and recommend it to everyone who wants to lose weight, improve energy levels, be a better athlete, and the list goes on in our full Lumen review.
Lumen Device and 1-Month Subscription – $250 with our $50 off code RYANANDALEX.
2. Best For Emotional Eaters: 2B Mindset
This program includes 40+ videos that teach you everything from how to grocery shop for healthy food, cook tasty and healthy recipes, portion your plate at each meal, and master a positive mindset around weight loss.
The app is easy to use and gives you access to tons of recipes and nutrition tracking tools. You will never feel hungry or deprived. Because that’s just not sustainable. Click here and select “2B Mindset” and then “Base Kit.”
This program is now included in every BODi membership.
3. Best Portion Control Plan: The Ultimate Portion Fix
We like this plan best since we have analytical minds. If you’re the type of person who just needs a good plan to easily follow to a “T,” this is perfect.
It teaches you exactly what, and how much you should be eating daily based on your goals. The plan includes a cookbook with very simple and healthy recipes.
Click here and select “The Ultimate Portion Fix” and then “Base Kit.” We have a full review of the Portion Fix program, as well as out experience, in our article titled, ‘The Best, Most Effective BODi Products for Weight Loss.’
This program is also now included in every BODi membership.
4. Best Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss
For weight loss, we rarely recommend protein powder. However, we always recommend a quality meal replacement shake loaded with micronutrients from superfoods, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and lots of fiber from fruits and vegetables.
While our go-to is Shakeology (our unbiased review here), we’ve also analyzed dozens of meal replacement products. Our list of recommended meal replacement shakes is based on data, not opinion.
Go to the below article to identify a shake that fits your goals and budget.
Closing Thoughts On the weight loss challenge
In this article, we outlined the numbers that you track during the 30-day Weight Loss Challenge.
We talked about why these numbers are important to weight loss, and how to track them.
To get started with the 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge, sign up below. We’ll email you the PDF immediately. This includes the 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge Cheatsheet & Tracker, along with a bonus, our Weight Loss Bundle.
We hope these tools will help you reach your goals. For questions regarding the challenge, or support during the challenge, please ask in the comments.
Otherwise, for more helpful weight loss articles, such as why fad diets don’t work, or our walking to lose weight plan, head over to our Weight Loss page.
30-Day Weight Loss Challenge
As engineers with a combined twelve years of health coaching experience, we needed to create a data-driven way for our clients to sustain weight loss.
Too many weight loss challenges involve a long list of what you can, cannot, and need to do every day. We’ve reduced the overwhelm and only require you to track five numbers a day — calories, steps, fiber, sleep, and waistline.
You’ll track five numbers daily to give you the highest return for sustainable weight loss. As a bonus, we’ll share our Weight Loss Bundle, with strategies, progress tracking tools, and additional weight loss plans.
Hey we're Ryan and Alex
The creators of Ryan and Alex Duo Life. We are a husband-wife duo and “lifestyle engineers.”
After eight years working in the corporate world as engineers, we left our high-powered jobs to tackle our true passion — helping couples engineer their best lives.
The synergy of our engineering minds and ten years of health coaching experience produced Ryan and Alex Duo Life. Our mission is to help you transform your bodies, minds, and relationship as a couple.
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I am confused on how many calories i should be consuming to lose weight. My BMR is 1,437, and i feel like i always under eat rather than eat the right amount. please help!
Hey Vanessa! While focusing on eating quality foods is most important, knowing your calories is also essential. Thanks for reaching out and we are happy to help.
You’re not alone. Most people we work with are actually undereating rather than overeating. This is the result of decades of experts telling us that exercise and calorie deprivation is the key to weight loss (aka “move more, eat less!”). Now we know that isn’t the full story because 100 calories from white bread are different than 100 calories from white beans and they shouldn’t be treated the same way. Yet, knowing where your calories stand is a helpful and powerful insight.
So first, you should never consume fewer calories than your BMR number, so start using MyFitnessPal and make sure you are at least exceeding 1,437 calories.
Next, can you please share the following information with us so that we can help you calculate how many calories you should be consuming to lose weight?
What we need to help you calculate:
Your age, weight, height, and activity level (please describe your typical day’s activity level and explain what workouts you’re doing).
What we need to help you optimize:
Start tracking everything you eat and drink in the MyFitnessPal mobile app (you can set up a free account if you don’t have one). Once you have done this for 2-3 days share with us what you ate and your total calories from food each day.
Feel free to send us this information right here, via the comments. Otherwise, send us an email at ryanandalex@ryanandalex.com if you’re more comfortable with that.
We’re looking forward to helping more!
I have Beachbody on Demand, I’m doing mBF at the moment. But I wanted to ask, which program do you think is more effective to loose belly fat? Thank you
Hi Edith! How to lose belly fat is the ultimate question for many. Generally, you still need a full-body routine to accomplish this, as well as a good nutrition plan. The most effective way towards weight loss is building muscle — just as you’re doing now with #MBF. After #MBF, I’d consider firstly LIIFT4, which is similar but has less cardio. LIIFT4 also incorporates abs every workout and it’s an excellent program that requires the same equipment as #MBF. Next, I’d take a look at P90X3 which is an excellent and well-rounded program, or Body Beast to get straight to the weight lifting.
You can also try out the portion containers with the LIIFT4 nutrition guide, no matter which program you end up choosing. It’s incredibly effective for weight loss!
I hope this helps!
Hi! I wish my husband would join me on this but for now I’m in my own. I think I have confused myself with the calories in a d calories out.
I am 49 , 5’6”, 223.8 lbs and have a desk job where I sit from 6 am until 5 pm. I am gaining weight from emotional eating since my children have grown up and left the nest.
I did the calorie calculator and it said target calories is 2184 and BMR is 1710. I downloaded my fitness pal but I’m confused on how many calories a day I should be eating.
In the past I have tried for 1200 and under with success for a few days and then binge eating. But 2184 calories when I am trying to eat sounds so high.
Do I take the calories in 2184 and subtract the BMR plus whatever calories I burn from a workout.
I am completely out of shape and thinking if starting insanity max 30 modified on Monday. Right now my fitness pal shows 1500 calories for a goal. I am son confused. Can you please help or put me in the direction of someone who can?
Thank you
Darlene
Hey Darlene! This is a great question and thanks for sharing all your information. I can definitely help clear up confusion.
When your husband is ready, you should sign up for our Couple’s Clean Week. Until then, work hard and leading by example. If there is a healthy activity that he loves (golfing, biking, playing frisbee, etc.), join him even if it’s not an activity you enjoy. Good luck!
Calculating calories, especially for first-timers, is confusing. The numbers you calculated are correct so I’ll just explain how to use that information. Currently, your lifestyle is more sedentary. So, given your age, weight, and height, 2184 is your calorie target. Your BMR, which is the number of calories your body burns daily to function and sustain life, is 1710. You should never consume fewer calories than your BMR.
Therefore, 1200 and under is not enough calories. This is why after a few days your body wants to binge eat. Even the 1500 calorie goal in myfitnesspal right now is not enough. I know that 2184 calories sound high to you, but you need to change your attitude towards food. It’s fuel. I’ll get to how many calories you should be eating soon.
But first, since your fitness plan influences your calorie goals, let’s talk about your exercise plan. Since you’re doing Insanity Max:30, your activity level will increase from “sedentary” to “moderate activity.” So, we need to recalculate your total calories (I’ll do it for you). Before we look at that, I recommend you start with a program like 21 Day Fix or Focus T25. These programs are more beginner than Insanity Max:30, making them a safer choice to transition into a more active lifestyle. Both made our list of the Best Beachbody Workouts and are incredibly effective for weight loss.
Okay, so here is your plan. I plugged your age, height, and weight into my calorie spreadsheet so these numbers should be close (not exact) to the numbers you calculated.
Caloric Needs (Sedentary) 2051.2, Caloric Needs (Light Activity) 2350.3, Caloric Needs (Moderate Activity) 2649.4, Caloric Needs (Very Active) 2948.5, Caloric Needs (Extremely Active) 3247.7
Since you are working out 5-7 days a week, that’s “Moderate Activity.” And, because you want to lose weight, you should target a 500 calorie deficit (or 100-200 calories more depending on how you feel). So, your new calorie goal or daily caloric intake (DCI) that you should track in myfitnesspal is:
2649.4-500=2149.4
Now, you don’t have to be exact, and at first, it’s going to feel like you’re eating too much food. That’s normal, so you can increase calories gradually. Try to consume between 1949.4 and 2149.4 calories from food daily. With this, you should be able to lose 0.5-1.5 pounds per week (maybe more at first). Please let me know if you have other questions. We are more than happy to help! Based on what you’ve shared, the following are other tools that can help you.
1. Knowing your calories is critical to weight loss. It’s also vital to set realistic goals and track your progress. To set realistic goals, I recommend you read our article on ‘How to Lose 20 Pounds.’ Here, we explain how long sustainable weight loss actually takes. It’s a lot slower than people think.
2. To track your progress, print and use our Body Measurement Chart. It’s more informative than tracking progress with just the scale.
3. In 3-5 months, if you don’t feel like your eating habits are aligned with your weight loss goals, the 2B Mindset is a great program for you. After struggling with emotional eating for years, the instructor created a plan to take back control. She made a huge (100+ pound) transformation and has helped thousands of people do the same with her simple plan. Both Alex and I completed the program and highly recommend it.
Hi can I replace walking with swimming? At least for part of the week?
Hey Sally! Replacing walking with swimming for part of the week is a great idea!
I am, stuggl;ing to actually find a diet that works and im soooo scared of carbs because im carb sensitive ….Do you think I can lose weight while still eating brown rice, chicken and spinach? btw I also do OMAD so my one meal is normally brown rice, chicken and spinach
Hey Jane, thanks for reaching out! That sounds like a healthy meal but your body should get more variety, especially if you’re only eating one meal a day. I would try to replace the chicken with more vegetables or fish 4-5 days a week. Follow the 30-Day Challenge to ensure your eating enough calories and hitting your fiber goal. I also recommend reading the book, The Plant Paradox, and trying the Diet Plan.
Hello! Thank you for making all of this information so available to us.
I’m having trouble with losing body fat. In numbers, I sound healthy but in reality I have a lot of squish and don’t have a fit physique. I’m a 25 year old woman, 5′ 6″, 128 lbs, and my BMR is 1,367 (according to my loftilla scale). I spent four months over the summer going to the gym five days a week for 2 hours, and focused on lifting weights but also ran/biked/ellipticalled. I saw a modest strength gain, but never a body fat reduction and it had very minimal on my physique. I’ve gotten discouraged and stopped going. (Also my life changed significantly and I don’t have that kind of time to dedicate to the gym now).
I hear that I shouldn’t be eating less than 1200 calories. But if my body is only using ~1400 for daily function and I live a largely sedentary lifestyle, how can I meet the 500 calorie reduction a day? Do I need to make an effort to burn an extra 500 calories to create the ‘reduction’?
Or, because my goal is not exactly weight loss but body fat loss, is there something else I should be focusing on?
Thank you so much for your help and generosity sharing your knowledge with me!
Hello! These are excellent questions and it’s obvious that you’re dedicated to getting results. First, I would say that spending 2 hours on exercise 5 days a week is too much. Instead, 30-40 minutes is adequate as long as your following a good plan. We strongly prefer these Beachbody workouts.
Nice job knowing all of your numbers. Firstly, yes, you should always be looking for ways to make your lifestyle less sedentary. Simple movement is arguably more important than doing cardio or lifting weights at the gym. Find ways to get your 10,000 steps! A standing desk is really helpful and we have a lot of friends who use this under desk cycle.
Second, never go below 1200 calories. Alex has the same issue as you. She can never have a 500 calorie deficit. Since your goal is not weight loss but fat loss, you should focusing on following a weight lifting program and cleaning up your diet. We have a few questions:
1. How much time can you realistically dedicate to workouts?
2. Do you have any weights or resistance bands at home?
3. What does a day of eating look like right now?
We look forward to hearing from you. Also, my apologies for the slow reply.
Hello! Thank you so much for your response, I really appreciate hearing about Alex having the same issue. I’m almost definitely not getting in 10,000 steps, so I should start tracking that, thanks!
I’ve got back into the gym habit and am spending about an hour working out every day, primarily using simple weight machines, I do a lot of upper body/core days. At home, I have some 5 and 10 pound free weights but no resistance bands.
In terms of food, my first meal (if I eat it) is usually a piece of fruit or greek yogurt with fruit. Lunch is usually rice with steamed vegetables and tofu, and dinner tends to be the same as lunch. I always have a whey protein shake after lunch and will snack on fruits and vegetables if I get hungry.
Since returning to the gym, my body statistics haven’t changed but I’ve noticed very slight arm definition. Part of me wonders if I actually need to increase calories?
Thank you again for sharing all of this with me!