How to Set a Plan for Successful Weight Loss

Tools of the trade

Assessing calorie requirements is what lets a dietitian build an individual meal plan and set dietary guidelines. Once calorie needs are determined, a dietitian can adjust macronutrients and micronutrients according to medical needs — diabetes, cardiovascular disease, nutrient deficiencies, obesity, metabolic stress or growth.

Several factors go into determining a person’s nutritional needs. On average, most women lose weight on a 1,500-calorie intake and most men on 2,000. If you want to make menu planning easy, divide the day into three portions and keep each within its share of that total. USDA nutrition labels are based on a 2,000-calorie intake, so on a 1,500-calorie plan you are working with roughly 500 calories a meal. Labels are useful for seeing whether a portion fits your plan, and for the percentage of the daily recommendation of micronutrients each food provides.

Where do those numbers come from? Calorie needs are estimated by measuring oxygen consumption against carbon dioxide exhaled. Scientists analyzed human energy requirements in metabolic chambers, measuring oxygen intake and dietary intake and accounting for energy lost through urine, feces, sweat, body heat and breath. Critical care physicians and nutrition experts used metabolic carts and blood gases to determine energy and macronutrient needs during metabolic stress, for intravenous or tube feeding. From that evidence base, nutrition scientists developed equations that estimate calorie needs from a person’s sex, age, height, weight and activity level.

The calculator below uses one of those equations. Enter your details to get a starting estimate.

Treat the result as a starting point to be adjusted, not a verdict. Two people with identical numbers can need meaningfully different intakes, which is exactly what a dietitian is for.

Start an exercise program

Weight maintenance requires dietary changes as well as other lifestyle changes. We are fortunate to have automation, air conditioning and other comforts that make our lives easier — but those same comforts contribute to weight gain and to declining health.

The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes a week of activity that improves cardiovascular function, strength, balance and cognitive health. Scheduled activity increases lean body mass, which benefits overall health regardless of what the scale does. The activity should involve real physical exertion, sustained for a meaningful length of time. Talk with a health provider about any limits on activity, particularly after a procedure or a new diagnosis. Once you find something you enjoy, you can build up its frequency and duration.

Walking is a good first activity unless you have a physical limitation or your surroundings do not lend themselves to it. If you track steps per day, that gives an estimate of calorie expenditure — keeping the difficulty of the terrain in mind. You can judge your level of exertion by how you feel: trouble getting more than a few words out, a faster heartbeat, faster and deeper breathing, working up a sweat, and muscles beginning to fatigue. Heart rate is another way to monitor intensity. You can estimate your maximum heart rate with the equation 206.9 − (0.67 × age), and work within a percentage of that maximum — ask your provider what range is right for you, because the appropriate target depends on your fitness, your medications and your cardiac history.

Exercises you can do at home include yoga, calisthenics, jumping, running in place, squats, kicks, lifting weights, jumping rope, sit-ups, push-ups and a stationary bike. Swimming is excellent if you have access to a pool. Gardening and household chores are productive energy expenditure too. In other words: anything that gets you moving.

Other habits that decide the outcome

Sleep

Sleep deprivation can trigger an increase in appetite. Getting a good night’s sleep and staying rested matters throughout a weight-loss effort.

Do not skip meals

Skipping meals is not a useful strategy for weight reduction. Avoid fasting: it does not teach healthy eating habits, and the body adapts to starvation by lowering basal metabolic rate and overall energy needs. People who skip breakfast should work toward a small morning meal and a smaller meal the night before. A hunger chart helps identify appetite zones so you can avoid bingeing, and most people do best managing intake across three meals a day.

Medications

Some classes of drugs make weight loss harder. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, corticosteroids, certain diabetes medications and some blood pressure medications are linked to weight gain. Raise this with your doctor when these therapies are part of your care — and do not stop any medication without consulting your physician or specialist first.

Emotional health

Emotions play a key role in overeating, and in starvation dieting. Counseling and education can relieve a great deal of what makes eating difficult. If you think you may have a food-related obsession or a disordered relationship with eating, speak with a health care professional privately. Some people find they can manage anxiety through meditation, hobbies, prayer or group activities.

A practical blueprint

To put these ideas into practice:

1. Establish your true baseline. Calculate your calorie needs using your current weight. After you lose a significant amount of weight, calculate again — your needs will have gone down.
2. Set a conservative deficit. Track your intake daily and compare it to your calculated needs. A free tracking app on your phone is enough.
3. Prioritize protein. A simple estimate: take your weight in pounds and halve it — that number in grams is a reasonable daily protein target. A 140-pound person would aim for roughly 70 grams a day.
4. Prioritize fiber. Good sources are legumes, beans, peas, nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetables and fruit.
5. Anchor the week with activity you actually like. Build a routine that increases your activity, that you enjoy, and that supports your mental health. Bring friends and family into it.
6. Judge progress by health, not scale weight. Track waist measurements, blood pressure and fasting glucose, and notice how your clothes fit.