Our 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge is backed by science and numbers. The goal of our 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 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 demystify 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 truth is, there’s no one way to weight loss. That’s why it’s so hard to figure out the “best” plan for you. What might work one year might not work another.
But through years of research and working with thousands of people, we’ve put together this 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge to get you on a sustainable path.
As engineers we follow what science says is your best bet, and we rely on numbers to help lead the way. What we like about this pen-to-paper process (and, if you can, pairing it with a handheld metabolism tracker for even better, real-time data) is that it will make you more aware of your lifestyle and eating habits in an easy-to-track pattern.
We’ll be the first to admit that your weight loss may be uniquely stubborn for several reasons, but managing these few numbers will set the foundation and starting point for tracking and getting a grip on your weight loss journey.
In a word, we guarantee that this will be eye-opening.
I know, we say “tracking” a lot, but the truth is, that’s what it takes… benchmarking progress, recording it, and seeing what works. But it’s easier said than done.
It’s common knowledge in the nutritional science world that people fib in their nutrition and exercise journals all the time. No matter the starting weight, we’re all apt to misreport up to 1,200 calories a day in our food diaries, according to research by the University of Essex. (That’s A LOT, like the equivalent of three McDonald’s cheeseburgers that you forgot about.)
Faking it until we make it is one strategy — although we’re not convinced that people do this entirely on purpose. Ultra-processed foods, after all, can be addictive, and all too soon that bag of chips can disappear without a second thought.
However, following the data, as accurately as you can make it, is an unbiased place to start. So let’s get into the numbers to track as we tackle your weight loss together.
What You’ll Need
Honestly, you can get by on a few free apps and a string to measure your waist. The important thing is just getting started.
If you’re tired of a DIY approach and want the most accurate data, we’ve found two things that help a lot.
The first is having some sort of wearable that can help track your step count, calories burned, and sleep quality. This can all be done with an Apple Watch (what we use), a FitBit, or even a cheaper Xiaomi Band.
Next, if you’re really ready to level up, we’ve used a Lumen metabolism tracker for about two years now and it’s honestly incredible. It’s the first at-home metabolism tracker to hit the market, and the technology is amazing.
The Lumen will tell you in real-time if you’re burning, for example, 75% fat and 25% carbs, and give specific nutrition recommendations to up your fat burn percentage and improve metabolic flexibility. Here’s a screenshot of Alex’s recommendations for the day, and note how specific it is:
Anyway, we’ll talk more about Lumen below but we share our full experience in our Lumen Review too. They have sales frequently and don’t forget to pair it with our 10% discount code RYANANDALEX.
Okay, that’s it! Everything else is here in this post and you can also enter your email address in the form below to receive the free printable PDF to go along with it.
The only thing we ask in return is not to feel shy to comment on this post with any questions, challenges, or successes! We want this to feel like a community, so let’s work through this together and we’ll respond too.
30-Day Weight Loss Challenge
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.
This is a brand new approach that will give insight as to why your weight loss may have been so stubborn in the past.
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. Age, body composition, fitness level, food preferences, physical limitations, and an increasingly hectic lifestyle all play a role.
So, when we talk to people about their weight loss goals, where do we begin when there’s so much to consider?
The wonderful thing is that we’ve put together a few numbers for you to track without any restrictions that evens the playing field. Yes, NO restrictions!
Why? Because once you start tracking your numbers, things will fall into place. There’s some built-in healthy habits you’ll need to employ to meet your number targets. These touch upon things like replacing ultra-processed foods, increasing fiber, and getting more movement into your day in a more natural, non-restrictive way.
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. More often than not, we receive emails from folks undereating. As a rule of thumb, women shouldn’t consume less than 1,200 calories a day and men 1,600 calories a day. This is regardless of how much weight you have to lose.
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, use this calculator for a rough estimate.
Option 2: Using Apple Watch or FitBit (more accurate)
Many wearables will tell you how many “Total Calories” you burned in 24 hours.
With Apple Watch, for example, 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.
4. Important Calorie Guidelines
Breaking these two calorie rules will completely destroy your weight loss results
1. Never consume fewer calories than your BMR requirements on the regular. If you do, you’re your metabolism will plummet and you’ll gain weight. This is the problem with a lot of fad diets.
On the other hand, extended fasting from time to time, like once a quarter, has been shown to have great health benefits. Our longest fasts have been a 3-day water fast and a far easier and more palatable 5-day fasting-mimicking diet. Both were awesome.
As mentioned earlier as well as in our helpful 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.
2. Ideally, the calories you consume aren’t ultra-processed, ie. contain five or less ingredients or any ingredients that you wouldn’t stock in your home kitchen.
There is an ongoing debate about whether a calorie from kale is equivalent to a calorie from a donut. The answer: yes, it is.
A calorie is a unit of measurement for energy, just as running a mile on pavement is the equivalent distance to running a mile on sand. But, we all know, that one is a heck of a lot harder than the other.
We’re not imposing any restrictions during these 30 days, but more often than not, we see people make a gradual change to eating healthier foods. Once you start tracking your calories, you’re less reluctant to blow 100% of your day’s calories on a large Dairy Queen blizzard. (The DQ Oreo Brookie large blizzard contains an astounding 1,590 calories, by the way.)
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 every day, evidence suggests that this won’t even undo the damage of inactivity.
During the 30-day weight loss challenge, your target is 12,000 steps a day.
A 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. And yes, it takes some time, but the idea is to incorporate more steps throughout your day.
Some ideas to do this is to walk instead of driving, take frequent walking breaks or, better, walking meetings at work, using the stairs, and so forth.
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:
All wearables and fitness watches will do this, or you can find a cheap pedometer. Or, if you want to use a free phone app, we’ve liked ActivityTracker the most.
Number 3 = fiber
Why fiber is important:
Most unhealthy, ultra-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. But on average, Americans only get 17g daily.
Fiber is so important and 97% of adults in the United States are fiber deficient.
Ultra-processed foods contribute to weight gain, this is a known fact. If you really want to get a grip on your weight loss and are up for tracking an extra number, try eating foods that contain five ingredients or less. We promise it will be eye-opening.
Consider this great study: researchers at Pomona College (published in Food and Nutrition) fed two groups meals identical in calories, fats, proteins, and carbs.
One test group ate whole foods (with fiber) and the other ate processed and packaged foods (without fiber and with added junk). They measured the calories that were metabolized and concluded the following:
Ultra-processed food subjects only burned 1/2 the calories. This is why ultra-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. Below we have a handy list of the top-ranked, high fiber foods.
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. Researchers think ancestral humans ate as much as 100g of dietary fiber a day. So, go all out!
However, know that you might feel gassy as you ramp up. This is a sign that your gut needed fiber. Typically you’ll adjust in a week. For more fiber and digestion tips, check our article titled, ‘What Poop Says About Your Health.’
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 are 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 than subjects who only slept 5.5 hours.
We are obsessed with sleep and you should be too if you want to lose weight (aor 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 a smart watch, download and sync to the free Pillow App. You can use this app just from your phone too, but it works better with a wearable.
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%. That’s awful actually…
That screenshot was take a year and a half after I hit rock bottom on the burnout scale. It took me 3 years to recover naturally. Now, especially as I am focusing on balancing my minerals, my scores are regularly 90-95%.
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. We think this is a bit of generalization — which is the same reason why we disagree with BMI and get into that here — but that’s the accepted rule of thumb today.
Regardless, a larger waist line is linked to 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. (By the way, I admit that we do like this inexpensive smart scale which gives metrics like muscle mass, visceral fat, bone mass, etc. if you want to track more numbers.)
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
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.
This is a brand new approach that will give insight as to why your weight loss may have been so stubborn in the past.
BONUS: Two “advanced” numbers to track
If we were to rate the above five numbers to track for beginner/intermediate level, then these next two numbers would be categorized as “advanced.”
It’s not that they’re harder to track — believe me, tracking every calorie you consume for 30 days is the most intense, tedious, and time-consuming thing you’ll do. (Sorry, not sorry, you’ll learn so much!)
But these two bonus numbers will really help to spur sustainable your weight loss.
1. Track Your Daily Calorie % from Ultra-processed Foods
We touch upon this above, but reading the book Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn’t Food by Chris van Tulleken rocked our world. 10/10 recommend. Wow, with exceptional research and science.
While it’s not a hard and fast rule, the book recommends eating only foods that have 5 or less ingredients and avoiding food that contains anything your mother wouldn’t have stocked in her kitchen.
If the food you’re eating doesn’t follow these rules, you can group it as an ultra-processed food.
The research is thorough and compelling, and no one has really talked about this before 2017. But, in summary, our industrialized food system is deeply disturbing and it’s all stacked up against us in regards to health, quality, and weight loss.
Eek, and no one really knows what it does to our bodies longterm, as this only really kicked off in the 1990s. So, if you’re like Alex and I (both born in 1988), I’m sorry to tell you that we’re the food industry’s guinea pigs.
On your tracker sheet, you’ll simply log how many of your day’s calories were from ultra-processed foods. The average American, at least, consumes about 60% of their day’s calories from UPFs.
Here’s a quick example. At lunch today, we consumed 75 calories of Kikkoman Instant Miso Soup. Amongst its 32 (!) ingredients listed, it contains some obvious non-pantry staples like monosodium glutamate, disodium inosinate, maltodextrin, and fumaric acid.
I know, disturbing. So the math works out that 75 calories out of my goal of 2,600 daily calories means 3% of my day’s calories were from UPFs, if that’s all the UPFs I ate that day.
That was a clear cut example, but you’ll find yourself on the fence and wondering if a food you’re eating is UPF or not. When in doubt, it probably is.
2. Track Your Metabolism ‘Score’
A few years ago, 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, and give you a 1-5 rating.
This is the number that you would track first thing in the morning. Below, we would record a “1” which designates strong fat burn.
Your metabolism is affected by four main lifestyle decisions: movement, food, sleep and stress. Thus, logging this one number encompasses many aspects of your lifestyle that is linked to weight gain.
What have Alex and I learned after about two years with our Lumens? That we metabolize food very differently, but both needed to increase our protein intake. Once you have the data, your plan of action will be extremely clear.
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 product you can get that we’ve found. We link to our full review below, and don’t forget to use our discount code RYANANDALEX to get 10% off.
30 Days Later: Keeping Weight Off
The goal of this 30-day weight loss challenge is to track progress, not just with stories, photos, or compliments, but by cold, hard numbers. The numbers don’t lie, and, when reading them correctly, can tell you a story.
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.
Closing Thoughts
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 for 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.
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.
Lastly, for our latest and greatest health optimization advice, make sure you sign up for our Friday morning newsletter.
Written by Ryan Gleason
CEO and Co-Founder at Ryan and Alex Duo Life
30-Day Weight Loss Challenge
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.
This is a brand new approach that will give insight as to why your weight loss may have been so stubborn in the past.
Hey we're Ryan and Alex
A husband-wife duo, two engineers, and the creators of Ryan and Alex Duo Life.
After eight years working in the corporate world as engineers, we left to tackle our true passion:
Helping highly motivated couples optimize their relationship and health by cutting through the muck and sharing what the research says works.
Optimize Your Life, One Friday at a Time
Each Friday receive evidence-based tips to elevate your health and relationship.
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!