It is fair to say, after a unique two years, many of our activity levels have dropped. Whether that’s due to the gyms being closed or to the fact your commute is no longer half an hour but a short trip down the stairs, straight to the sofa. The reality of this, is that many of us have put on a few extra pounds due to simply not burning off the calories we consume throughout the day. All of a sudden, summer is here and those clothes we were wearing last year seem to fit a little snugger this time round.
In this guide, we explain how to lose those extra few pounds through increased activity levels and a calorie deficit, all while maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Best Approach to weight loss
Here at Revive Nutrition, we are keen to support you with your health and fitness journey. If your goal is towards losing weight, we believe the best way is to make a gradual change to your lifestyle rather than an unrealistic fad diet. Incorporating a healthy balanced regular meal along with regular exercise is the best way to continue a sustainable approach to your physical and mental wellbeing. Although low-calorie fad diets can be tempting they often lead to a yo-yo effect which in the long run is more damaging.
What are calories and how do they affect us?
A calorie is the measure of the energy that the food and drink we consume, provides to our bodies. They are a necessary fuel to function, from walking to talking. Food is made up of macronutrients knows as protein, carbohydrates and fats, which all play a different role in sustaining the body. They all provide different energy values which influence how many calories we absorb from them once we consume them.
How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
As mentioned earlier, if we consume more calories than we burn, the body will store those additional calories as fat. Depending on the individual, a repeated excess of roughly 500+ calories over your daily burn number is highly likely to lead to weight gain. Alternatively, a repeated deficit of roughly 500+ calories per day is likely to lead to gradual weight loss. As a very loose guideline, the general recommended daily calorie intake for men is 2,500 and for women is 2,000. If you are inactive, a healthy target for weight loss would be around 1,300 – 1,500 for women and 1,800 – 2,000 calories for men.
It is worth noting, calories are fuel for your workouts and help your body to stay strong, recover well and function properly. Deprive your body of calories and you may find you can’t put as much effort into your workouts, which plays a huge role in losing weight and getting fitter. If your activity levels are higher, you may want to be raising this figure to account for around half the calories you are burning through exercise. Do bear in mind, these figures are a rough guideline, and the specific number can widely vary based on every individual’s genetic composition. Calories can be tracked digitally through the variety of apps available, alternatively, using a meal prep service such as Revive Nutrition, where precise macro information including calories is included on the packaging and website.
How can I tell how many calories are in my food / drink?
Most modern food packaging contains nutrient and calorie information; therefore, you can track how much you’re consuming through the variety of calorie tracking apps currently available. Although, this can get pretty confusing to keep track off if you are cooking home cooked meals as you must figure out and track every individual ingredient within the meals. An alternative is a meal prep company such as our own, Revive Nutrition. We figure out the exact macro information per meal including calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat so you can track your calorie intake with ease.
All calories aren’t created equally.
Calories focused nutrition does not always take food quality into account. The quality of the food is naturally one of its most important properties. You may find different meals or ingredients might be more likely to fill you up for longer, slowly release energy for you throughout the day or provide more vital vitamins and nutrients, vital for a healthy body and mind.
The best way to make the most of your calories for the day is to include well-rounded, nutritious meals packed with lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grains and delicious fruit and veg. You don’t need to forgo the indulgences and treats either, just work them around one of our healthy meal prep plans. Our healthy, nutritious meal prep options provide a diverse selection of meals, guaranteed to keep you on track and feeling great. Visit our menu for more information regarding the meals and their exact macro information and find a meal plan to suit you!
For more information on our healthy, nutritious meal plans, please click here.
