Cat's Corner

Over the past four months, I've lost close to 30 pounds of extra weight, and other people who know me through some of my social networking sites and had heard about that have requested some simple advice on how they can do the same. I'm not a weight loss expert by any means, and I definitely disliked the idea of dieting and working out as much as the next person for sure, so I certainly didn't start out any more in the know on the subject than anyone else. I'm just an average Jane who got fed up with all her clothes not fitting, got tired of feeling tired and sick all the time, and decided to just do my research, change my lifestyle, and get the weight off. I'll tell you the basics as far as what worked for me. It will work for you as well if you stick with it.

Losing weight comes down to one basic principle. Once you understand that, you really know all you need to know to make it happen. If you burn the same amount of calories you take in, you maintain your weight. If you take in more calories than you burn, you gain weight. If you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. Burn more calories than you take in consistently enough, and you will lose the weight you want to. It's really as simple as that. It's how to actually get a handle on that process that can be tricky and difficult. The following tips should give you a pretty decent place to start though.

1. Weigh in. First you need to get a decent and realistic picture of where you are weight wise. If you haven't weighed yourself in a while, do it. If you don't own a scale, get one. You will need to get comfortable with the idea of weighing yourself regularly from now on anyway. I didn't and I wasn't, and that's how I got to the point where I had 30 pounds to lose. Staying on top of things from now on is what will keep me from having to do it again.

2. Evaluate what your scale is telling you. Next, go here and calculate your BMI, or "body mass index". There are many BMI calculators all over the internet, but this is the exact same one I used to calculate mine. Your BMI is a measurement of your body fat based on your height and weight and will let you know whether or not you are truly overweight. This is something a lot of people are in denial about, whether it's from one end of the spectrum or the other, so it's important to know where you really stand as opposed to just relying on your vanity to tell you. Be realistic with your expectations. Your ultimate goal should be to get yourself into a healthy body so you can not only look your best, but feel your best -- not to become a walking skeleton wrapped in a little bit of skin.

I'm not saying that you can't technically be in the "normal" range and still want to nip things in the bud before they get out of control by any means. Where I personally started out as far as my BMI, I wasn't medically overweight yet, but at 155 pounds for someone my height, I was only a few cupcakes too many away from it (about half a BMI point) when I'd been in the mid-120's or just above for the better part of my life. I had put on this weight over the past few years due to a drastic lifestyle change, and I knew if I didn't change things again fast, I'd keep on gaining until I had a real problem. I wanted to get back to where I knew I not only looked my best, but felt my healthiest, which would mean a loss of about 30 pounds. Set a similar goal for yourself. Just make sure it's a realistic and healthy one. Knowing more about BMI should help you do that now.

3. Adjust your attitude. I'm sure that at some point in your life you've heard somebody say that to lose weight and keep it off, you can't just "go on a diet". You have to change your lifestyle for good. That is 100% true. If you are thinking of this as a diet that you can quit once the pounds come off, the pounds will come back on just as quickly. I promise you. They will probably even bring a few friends because biology is cruel like that. Decide right at the beginning that you want to make a lifestyle change. Like I was saying, your goal should ultimately be getting healthy and getting fit. Being able to look good in a little black dress should be thought of as more of a bonus as opposed to your whole reason for making this change.

4. Figure out what it really takes to run your body. The next thing you need to do is calculate your BMR, or "basal metabolic rate". Your body is always burning calories -- even if you're sleeping or lying around watching Sex and the City reruns. To put it really simply, your BMR is the amount of calories it takes to run your body even if you just lie around in bed all day. You can calculate yours here. Ever wonder why it becomes harder to keep extra weight off as you get older? It's because that number goes down as you age. It also goes down when you decide you're going to lose weight by starving yourself, which is why starvation diets are not such a hot idea. I'll say more about why a little later.

5. Start spreading the news. Once you make the decision to lose weight, it helps to make it a real thing by telling people you know. I'm not saying you have to post it all over the internet or anything, but definitely tell your family and your friends so they can offer you support, or at the very least be respectful of what you're trying to accomplish and not make it more difficult for you unintentionally. They will also then expect to see you making progress, and not wanting to let them down or look like a quitter will help you stick to your routine. If possible, get them involved. Has your spouse been expressing unhappiness with his or her weight, too? Why not do this together? It's not only easier to do with someone else in your corner, but it almost becomes fun.

My fiancé had been packing on the extra pounds right along with me, and wasn't happy with his weight either, so he was all too happy to get on board and lose weight with me. We had a blast going grocery shopping together and reading labels, freaking out over how many calories were in all our favorite treats and finding alternatives together. We went for walks together. We did weekly weigh-ins together and congratulated each other on our progress. We IMed each other during the days and shared what we had chosen for our lunches, and then patted each other on the back for making healthy choices. It honestly helped a lot and made the experience so much easier. You can do it alone, but it's so much easier with a partner. If you know someone who would make a good one, why not see if they're interested.

6. Start keeping score. Now that you know how many calories you burn in a day even if you don't do anything but breathe in and out for 24 hours, it's time to learn more math-like stuff. I know... I wasn't thrilled about that part either, but you have to learn it. One pound of body fat is worth about 3500 calories whether it's going on or coming off. Want to lose a pound of fat a week? You'll have to create a calorie deficit of about 500 calories a day. Two pounds a week? Then you'll need to create a calorie deficit of about 1000 calories a day. Expecting to lose more than two pounds a week probably isn't realistic. You didn't put the weight on overnight, nor will it come off overnight, so be patient. Making this work is all about being realistic and creating a new lifestyle that you can stick with.

The first step is starting to really pay attention to how many calories everything is worth, not only when it comes to your food, but your activities. You need to start reading labels when you go grocery shopping without exception so you know what you're eating calorie wise. You can also get a lot of help by bookmarking a couple more charts. This one here was really helpful to me. It tells you about how many calories you burn doing just about everything, from working out on the ski machine, to mopping the kitchen floor, to having sex. Then bookmark this one, too. It gives you the ability to look up the calorie count in just about anything from an apple, to a Big Mac, to a beer. Use them. Get really familiar with the calorie number attached to everything. It helps a lot of people to keep a notebook where they tally their calorie counts for the day, too. That makes it all the easier to make sure you come up with the deficit you want to create by the end of the day. Remember -- it's "basal metabolic rate (already of a negative value) + calories consumed through food - calories expended through activity".

7. Eat healthy, balanced meals. There are a few theories out there as far as how many times a day you should eat. Usually it's recommended that you eat 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day, and that's what seems to work best for most people. However, that was something I personally just couldn't stick to. It's difficult for me to make time to eat that many times a day, and I've never even been someone who was able to eat even the traditional three meals a day, to be honest, so I eat on average twice a day: a small lunch and a medium-sized dinner. Occasionally I will have a small snack in there somewhere. I just do better making my own eating schedule, I suppose, so I say do what works for you and seems to keep your blood sugar the most even. If you can swing the 6 small meals a day thing, go for it, but if you can't, figure out what works best for you instead of trying to force yourself. If your eating schedule is inconvenient or makes you miserable, you won't want to stick with it.

However, regardless of how often you decide to eat a day, your meals should always be balanced, low in fat, and high in protein. If you don't already eat many fruits and vegetables, this is the time to incorporate lots of them into your diet. They're not only nutritious, but they are low in calories, high in fiber, and help keep you feeling full. You should also eat some carbs as well, as they help keep your energy up. Just go easy on 'em, and try not too eat too much refined flour, white bread, and pasta. Pick whole grain products whenever you can, and go as natural as possible with all your food whenever you can. The less it's been processed or screwed with, the better it will ultimately be for you.

I would start taking a vitamin supplement each day as well. That really helped me make sure I was getting enough of all the essentials. Hate pills or can't swallow them like me? Take children's vitamins. Don't laugh... I'm serious. There's an adult dose right on the back of the bottle for a reason. I take Spiderman gummis myself, and I'm not ashamed to say so. Plus, they taste good, don't hurt my stomach the way regular supplements do, and they're certainly better than not taking anything at all. So... if Spiderman or Fred Flintstone might work better for you than your garden variety horse pills, why not try them? Like I keep saying, a routine that's comfortable is far easier to stick with and turn into a habit.

8. Make some substitutions and compromises. You don't have to give up your favorite foods completely, and actually I would not recommend it unless you want to wind up obsessing over whatever it is you gave up. I actually found that one of the easiest ways to cut quite a few calories out of my diet was by just making substitutions instead. For instance, I love, love, love breakfast sausage. However, it's of course very high in calories and very high in fat, so I looked into alternatives and found the vegetarian sausage patties that Morning Star makes. They were delicious, and they definitely satisfied my love of sausage with a mere fraction of the calories. In fact, I now far prefer them to regular sausage and don't intend to ever switch back. I also substituted Morning Star crumbles for ground beef, diet soda for regular soda, and reduced fat Wheat Thins for greasy potato chips. Those things alone cut out hundreds of calories from my diet... especially the soda. Give things up if you don't think you'll miss them, but where that's not a realistic option, see where you can make substitutions like the ones I mentioned.

Also look for ways you can cut back as far as possible on high calorie foods you eat often and can't see giving up either. For example, cheese is atrociously high in calories and fat, but it's also one of those things I could never say good-bye to. I just love it too much. However, I realized that I didn't really need it on everything, and when I did have it, I didn't need as much of it to be happy with my meal as I always thought I did. Just sprinkling one serving on top of my salad tasted just as good as dumping on three or four, to my great surprise, and it saved several hundred calories as well. It's the same with pretty much anything. Just consume it in moderation. Not that I'd recommend wolfing down chocolate cake every day, or even keeping it in the house as a general rule, but are you really craving some? Have some... just have a small sliver instead of a giant wedge, and always keep track of how many calories you're actually putting in your mouth. "Purchase" the cake from yourself by working out for an extra 20 minutes maybe. That helps alleviate any guilt, and is also a great way to pay yourself back for any slip-ups.

9. Working out is not optional. And by working out, I don't mean going out and signing up for an expensive gym membership or committing yourself to running 5 miles a day. I just mean exercise... physical activity. You really need to get some each day -- at least 20-30 minutes or so -- especially if your daily routine means you're almost totally sedentary behind a desk or something. Exercise is important for more than just the calories it burns every day when it comes to weight loss. It's important because it keeps your metabolism up and running instead of crashing. Once you start cutting calories out of your diet and losing body mass because of it, your body will try to compensate by lowering your metabolism. Regular exercise helps convince your body that it would be wiser to keep your metabolism high instead. It also builds muscle tissue, which not only means more strength and endurance to get you through the day, but it burns more calories even just sitting around than fat does.

I really find that the key to sticking with the exercise portion of your weight loss routine is finding something that will work for you. Now... I'm the worst. I'm shy, so I will not work out in front of other people, meaning gyms and even morning jogs are out for me... period. I need to be able to work out in my own home where I can be by myself. I just do. Don't laugh, but for my exercise, I worked out on one of those Tony Little Gazelle machines for 30 minutes every morning. I say "don't laugh" because it worked. It worked because it was something that was fun, that fit easily into my lifestyle, and that I could stick with. I just set it up in front of my living room window where I could watch the rain or the birds, grabbed my iPod, and went to town. If I felt like it later in the day, I'd hop back on for another 30 minutes or so. I did this consistently every weekday, and it fit me and my schedule perfectly. Figure out what type of exercise would work best for you and be the easiest to stick with. Everybody's different.

10. Water is your friend. Without water, your metabolism grinds to a halt. Not good. It's very important to stay hydrated, whether or not you're trying to lose weight. You should generally try to drink between 7 and 8 glasses of water a day, especially if you are exercising a lot. I know... it sounds like a lot, but try anyway. You'll notice the difference almost immediately. I not only felt a lot better, but my skin looked better as well, and who doesn't want good-looking skin? I actually found a refillable water bottle at the drug store that actually was made to hold the entire recommended 8 glasses of water, so all I have to do is fill it in the morning and try to empty it over the course of the day. Even on the days I don't actually drink it all, it's still a lot more water than I would normally drink, which can only be a good thing. Get one of your own! It makes staying hydrated enough a cinch.

11. Scales are fickle fiends. You'll find that when you first start cutting back your calories and doing your exercise program, the weight seems to be flying off. I lost quite a few pounds the first week myself. Just don't expect it to continue. When you first start, your body isn't really burning much fat, if any. It's actually burning off stored glycogen in your liver, and you're probably also going to lose some water weight as well. After that, the numbers on the scale may not seem to be going down as fast as you'd like, but you are going to be actually burning fat now, so don't let it discourage you. Keep at it. Sometimes the scale doesn't show progress that week, but your tape measure will when you go to measure your waist. I know it goes against everything you've been taught, but try to stop thinking of the number on the scale as the only way to gauge whether or not you're making progress.

Your weight is also going to seem to fluctuate a lot... even in the course of a day. Even if you haven't eaten anything yet. I've literally stepped on a scale in the morning and weighed one thing and then stepped on it again a few hours later without having consumed any food or liquid and weighed 2 or 3 pounds more. It scared the crap out of me until I learned that I can't necessarily trust my scale implicitly. Lots of things fluctuate in regards to your body throughout the day... or the week! That's why I would probably recommend weighing yourself no more than once a week, preferably first thing in the morning each time, and taking what you see with a grain of salt, give or take a pound or two. If you'd rather weigh yourself daily, just understand that you're going to see some wonky things from time to time.

Just don't let it scare you, and whatever you do, don't let it discourage you enough to give up. Just remember what you already learned about fat. To gain a pound of fat, you have to consume 3500 calories over and above what you burn. Unless you've somehow done that, the sudden weight "gain" has to be due to something else logically speaking... water retention possibly... and will very likely disappear as quickly as it appeared in the first place. It happened to me often, and it will happen to you, too. However, it will be less shocking and discouraging if you expect it.

12. Beware the plateau. Sooner or later, you might find that your weight loss grinds to a screeching halt, despite the fact that you've cut yourself back to like... 750 calories a day or something and are exercising constantly. It's called a plateau and it happens to most people sooner or later during the course of any weight loss regimen. It's scary, and it's very frustrating, especially when it seemed like you were doing so well just a little while before. Don't freak... and don't give up and drown your sorrows in chocolate pudding. Your body just needs some time to adjust to its new routine.

You may find that the plateau passes on its own, but you may also find that you need to make a couple of adjustments to your routine now that you've reached a new place in regards to fitness, weight, and so forth. Maybe you need to push harder. Try exercising more often, or incorporating other forms of exercise into your workout routine. Bodies like and benefit from variety as much as minds do.

Still not working? I wouldn't go cutting your calories back. Actually you might not be eating enough. I know how stupid that sounds, but it's true. If you've cut your calories back very severely, your body may actually think food is in short supply and kicked itself into starvation mode, lowering your metabolism to try to conserve calories. That actually happened to me. When I first started my regimen, I was the model dieter. Exercised every day... sometimes twice a day. I ate almost all vegetables, fruit, and fish. I drank every drop of my eight glasses of water a day. I had the occasional sliver of cheese here or there, but I hardly ever touched carbs. I stoically resisted any and all urges to eat any type of extra snack without exception. Well... that turned out to be my problem. I apparently wasn't eating enough to keep my body from thinking it was starving and my body was not pleased.

My personal motto in life is "when in doubt, do research" so I did just that to try to figure out why my weight loss had stalled, and as a result I found out the information I just gave you. It still sounded ridiculous to me, but I figured it was worth a try anyway, so I started making sure that I added a baked potato to my diet each day, or a serving of bread, or a single serving of low-fat crackers while I watched my favorite shows at night. It worked! The pounds started coming off again just as they did before. That's what I meant when I told you it doesn't pay to starve yourself. You actually lose more weight over time, and lose it more consistently, if you eat. You'll be a lot happier, too. Just make smart, healthy choices and keep up with your exercise and you'll be fine.

13. Research is also your friend. Start a bookmark folder for all your diet and fitness related links and fill 'er up. There are a million sites out there that have helpful information on this subject. Find them. Read up. Save articles that you found particularly insightful or helpful to your specific needs or concerns and search for more like them. If something is happening in regards to your weight loss that you're curious about, log on to Google and find the answer. Browse the books in the fitness section of the library or the Barnes and Noble, take home the ones you like, and read them cover to cover.

The more you truly understand about how metabolism, bodies, and so forth really work, the better you'll be able to make wise choices for yourself in the future. I still religiously count my calories and work out on my Gazelle every day, among other things, and I feel great. I still follow health blogs and search for low-calorie recipes to try in my spare time. I couldn't imagine going back to my old habits, but that's because I really read up enough to understand what happens to my body when I eat junk food from McDonald's, or don't exercise, or starve myself and got rid of the illusions I had about those things. Make sure you do the same. It really does scare you straight, and that's the first and most important step in making sure you stay healthy and happy for many, many years to come.