How much should YOU eat?

Now you are tracking what you eat, and you are counting those calories and keeping them within a weight loss level. What is a weight loss level, you ask? Your goal is to eat about 500 calories less than your ACTIVE metabolic rate. That should produce about a pound of weight loss a week (3500 calorie deficit = 1 pound weight loss).

Now you may say, "Is that all? But I want to lose 30 pounds right away! I need to go faster!"
Well, to that I say, You did not gain it in a month and you should not try to lose it in a month! (unless, of course, you want it right back, with interest!)

A 500 calories deficit is a good level to shoot for because:

1) It's not so low that your metabolism slows down because your body thinks it is starving
2) You will not be so hungry that you have a hard time sticking to your plan

So I have now thrown lots of unhappy stuff at you. I hope you have not gotten discouraged and given up yet, because now comes the fun part CHEAT DAYS!

Cheat days (or cheat meals) are what you have to keep you sane. I really don't think that cheating’ is the right term for it, though. Cheating implies doing something dishonest and wrong. If you eat healthfully all week, and put in some good, solid workouts, then treat foods are a healthy part of any life, and a sanity-saver on top of that! So I would say it is less 'cheating'’ and more 'treating'!

While on this program, I found that I needed to have a small 'treat'’ everyday, or I felt deprived. So I allowed myself one small piece (40 calories) of dark chocolate daily and a 4 oz glass of red wine (70 calories) most nights. About twice a week I had a 'treat meal'’ which usually involved Pizza or Mexican - my favorites! I found it easier to have a 'treat meal'’ here and there than wait for a designated 'treat day'. And I really tried to not 'treat' with anything that is not worth it. I made sure that when I strayed I was eating my FAVORITE things and really savoring and enjoying them, rather than just mindlessly grabbing whatever is handy. I also gave myself one day off from the food journal each week, just because my mind needed a rest from the constant food tracking. You may or may not need to do this.

Next: More Eating Tips and Tricks