How to Lose Weight the Right Way

A simple, scientific approach to finally achieve your goal weight

Photo by Gabin Vallet on Unsplash

Losing weight is less complicated than you think.

• If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. This is a calorie surplus.
• If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight. This is a calorie deficit.
• If you eat the same calories that you burn, you maintain weight. This is a calorie balance.

Your relationship between energy intake (what you eat) and energy expenditure (calories burned) is known as the energy balance equation. According to the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this equation serves as a fundamental property of body composition.

What this means is that losing weight is pretty straightforward. If you want to shed a few pounds, eat fewer calories than you burn (calorie deficit). Because everyone is unique, determining how many calories you burn is the most important aspect of weight-loss

Here’s how to determine how much you should eat per day to achieve your ideal weight.

1. Calculate Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)