2: Create Your Weight Loss Diet Plan

(If you somehow got here without reading Phase 1 first, you're going to be a little lost. It's ok, just go back and read it here: Phase 1: How To Lose Weight)

In Phase 1 of The Lose Weight Diet, you learned how to lose weight. You learned that the key to weight loss is being in a calorie deficit, which means you are burning more calories than you are consuming. You learned that to do this, you just need be about 500 calories below your calorie maintenance level. You also learned that while this was the most important part of weight loss, making sure these calories are coming from the right food sources is also pretty important.

Now, in Phase 2, you're going to learn how to put this information to use and create your own weight loss diet plan. The very first thing you're going to need to do is figure out what your calorie maintenance level is...

Calculate your daily calorie maintenance level.

Your daily calorie maintenance level is the key number in creating your weight loss diet plan. It is based on many factors and is specific to each person. For example, you and your friend might be the same height and weight, but you might have maintenance levels that are hundreds of calories apart. Since the effectiveness of your weight loss diet plan depends a lot on this number, it is important that you figure it out as accurately as possible.

For the most part there are really only 2 methods of figuring out this "magic" number. The first is pretty close to accurate, and the second is as accurate as can be.

1. Here's the method for getting the "pretty close estimate" of your calorie maintenance level. It requires putting your gender, weight, height, age and activity level through a 6th grade level math formula. However, I have assumed that no one actually wants to sit around doing 6th grade math. I was right, wasn't I? So, I've included a calculator for it instead. All you need to do now is just fill out the quick form below and hit "Calculate!" and you will instantly get your estimated calorie maintenance level. Go ahead and try it...

Your gender: Male Female

Your height: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 feet 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 inches

Your weight: pounds

Your age: years old

Your activity level: Sedentary Lightly Active Moderately Active Very Active Extremely Active



Your estimated daily calorie maintenance level is:

---

2. While the above method is probably accurate enough for most people (it was actually very close for me), I can't say for sure if it will be as accurate for everyone. And, since this is the number that will be at the heart of your weight loss diet plan, I'm going to mention the second method. It's not so much a "method" as it is a "test."

Basically, you would start eating a certain number of calories each day and then closely monitor what your weight does when consuming this many calories. For example, if you maintained weight eating this certain number calories per day, you have found your maintenance level. If you gained weight, lower your calorie intake a little and see what happens then. If you lose weight, then you know you're already below your calorie maintenance level.

If you want to give method #2 a try, I'd suggest using your current calorie intake as the number of calories to start the "test" on. To figure this number out, pick a day and eat like you normally would. The only difference is you will be keeping track of the number of calories in everything you consume. At the end of the day add it all up. Do this for a few days and then take an average of all the days. This average is the average amount of calories you are currently taking in each day and would make a perfect starting point for method #2.

Which method you decide to use is up to you. Feel free to use both, by the way.

Create your weight loss diet plan.

Now that you know what your daily calorie maintenance level is, it's time to officially create your weight loss diet plan.

To do this, just subtract 500 from your calorie maintenance level.

For example, if you figured your maintenance level to be 3000 calories per day, you would now start eating 2500 calories per day instead. It's really as easy as it sounds. Just subtract 500 from your daily maintenance level and then start eating this new amount of calories each day. By doing so, you would officially be in a calorie deficit. And, as you know, a calorie deficit is what makes weight loss happen.

You're also going to want to try to eat 5-6 smaller meals per day (once every 2-3 hours) and spread those calories out evenly among them. There are three reasons for eating 5-6 smaller meals instead of 1-3 big meals or just randomly throughout the day. The first is that it will help speed up your metabolism. The second is that eating so frequently will help keep you satisfied and less likely to eat something you shouldn't. The third is that you will be supplying your body with the nutrients it needs consistently throughout the day.

All that's left to do now as far as your weight loss diet plan goes is make sure that the calories you are consuming each day are coming from the right food sources...

Protein

Protein isn't just an important part of The Lose Weight diet, it's an important part of every diet. As far as food sources go, the best sources of protein tend to come from anything that used to be alive, or anything that came from something that used to be alive. Some high protein foods include:

chicken
fish
lean cuts of meat
turkey
eggs and egg whites
milk

Protein can also be found in all types of nuts, seeds and beans. And of course, there are always protein supplements in the form of powders, shakes and bars. I fully explain the purpose and benefits of protein supplements here: Protein Powder

As far as how much protein you should include in your weight loss diet plan per day, that depends on the person. For example, the average person who doesn't exercise at all needs less protein than someone who does. Something in the range of 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight would be alright in this case. For example, if the person weighed 180lbs, you would do 180 x 0.5 = 90 grams of protein per day.

However, someone who does exercise should eat somewhere in the range of .6 - 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight. In this example a person weighing 180lbs would look to eat between 108 - 180 grams of protein per day.

The only other thing you need to know about protein is that 1 gram contains 4 calories. So, for example, if you were to eat 100 grams of protein per day, that would account for 400 calories. (100 x 4 = 400)

Fat

Despite any crazy ideas that have been put into your head, there are 2 different types of fat. Good fat (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated) and bad fat (saturated and trans). Bad fat can be found in all of the usual junk foods that you already know you shouldn't eat. Good fat on the other hand can be found in foods like:

fish
nuts
olive oil
fish oil supplements (see below)

(*Important Note* Practically every single person reading this should be taking a fish oil supplement. It's the most scientifically proven supplement there is, with a seemingly endless number of benefits. Put it this way, it will improve your body's ability to do damn near everything (including lose fat). I fully explain all of this in my article about supplements here: Fish Oil)

As for how much fat should be included in your weight loss diet plan... about 25% of your total calorie intake should come from fat. Most (if not all) of this fat should come in the form of the "good" food sources listed above. Very little (if any) should come from the "bad" sources.

Also keep in mind that 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories. So, for example, if you needed to eat 80 grams of fat per day, that would account for 720 calories.
(80 x 9 = 720)

Carbs

Now that you know how much protein and fat your weight loss diet should include, it will be pretty easy to figure out how many carbs you should eat. Quite simply, the rest of your diet should be carbs. Once you factor protein and fat into your total calorie intake, whatever calories are left over to reach the number of calories you figured you need to eat per day... those calories should come from carbs.

1 gram of carbs contains 4 calories. So, for example, after factoring protein and fat into what you calculated your total calorie intake should be (500 below maintenance level, remember?), let's say you are 1200 calories below that number. In this example you would need to eat 300g of carbs per day. (1200 ÷ 4 = 300)

And, just like fat, there is a good type of carbs you should eat (complex carbs), and a bad type of carbs you should try to limit to some degree (simple carbs). Some sources of "good" carbs are:

beans
brown rice
100% whole wheat bread
whole wheat pasta
sweet potatoes
oatmeal
fruits and vegetables

The bad type of carbs are found in typical snack/junk foods like crackers, pretzels, chips, cookies, etc. as well as white bread, white rice, white potatoes, pasta and any candy, drink or food containing sugar. While you should try to limit these "bad" carbs as much as possible and get most of your carb intake from foods on the "good" list, eating a baked potato or some pasta once in a while won't kill you.

Remember...

Remember, the most important part of The Lose Weight Diet is making sure you are 500 calories below your calorie maintenance level. Everything you just read about protein, fat and carbs was to give you an idea of how to divide those calories up so that your weight loss diet plan is as balanced as possible. The guidelines mentioned aren't just ideal for weight loss, they're also ideal for good health in general.

The end of Phase 2 of The Lose Weight Diet

You have reached the end of Phase 2. Right now you should not only know how to lose weight, but you should also know exactly what your specific weight loss diet plan should be so YOU can lose weight. You know how many calories you need to eat, and you know where those calories should come from. For the most part, you're done. Take a breath. It's a good feeling, isn't it?

All that's left now is some final information to not only make sure you continue losing weight, but to make sure you keep the weight off once it's gone. That's what Phase 3 will explain. Also, any questions that may have popped into your head during Phase 1 and 2 (for example, how do you know how many calories/protein/carbs/fat are in certain foods?) will be answered in Phase 3. So... let's go...

The Fatigue, Weight Gain Connection

To produce energy…energy to walk, run, dance or simply to keep your heart beating requires your body to break down calories from either carbohydrates, proteins or fats.  Those are the three fuel sources or options your body can turn to in order to produce energy.  There are no other options, it’s either one of those three fuels.  The key to successfully taking the weight off, keeping your energy up, and cravings and moods swings down…is to make sure your body is burning calories from stored body fats.  Those who constantly struggle with their weight and energy level, as well as, cravings, mood swings and irritability are usually burning carbs and proteins throughout the day.

The energy we produce comes as a result of the calories we burn from the foods we eat as well as the calories we have stored on our body.  Our food is loaded with carbohydrates, proteins and fats.  Our body has the ability to store carbohydrates, proteins (lean muscle) and fats.
 
The important thing to understand is that you don’t have a huge reservoir of carbohydrates to pull from.  You can quickly burn through all the carbs in your body, which leads to cravings, low blood sugar, mood swings, irritability, etc…because your metabolism is burning the wrong fuel. 
Burning calories from the break down of lean muscle (protein) can be done, but it is not the best option!  You will see people lose weight very rapidly, but the weight they lost is really the lean muscle they lost.  This happens a lot with fad diets and rapid weight loss programs that make all kinds of claims.
 
Burning or Storing Fats?

The problem with fats – is not that you can store up a huge reservoir of fats around your tummy, rear and hips.  The problem for many people is that their metabolism is so out of balance and not functioning properly – that it can’t burn stored body fats.  This is why so many people are dieting and exercising, and cutting calories and still not losing those unwanted pounds.  Their body is burning the wrong calories.  They are burning calories from the breakdown of carbohydrates and protein – not stored body fats.

The reason why fatigue and weight gain go hand in hand is easy to understand.  When you burn one gram of fat you produce two-and-a-half times more energy than you do when you burn a gram of protein or carbohydrates.  Think about it – you get more than twice as much energy when you burn calories from fats than you do when you burn carbs and proteins.  Not only that you also tap into that reservoir of stored body fat, which helps keep your weight down.  Unfortunately many people who struggle with these two issues, as well as, cravings, mood swings and irritability are always burning the wrong fuel.  Those who are successful at keeping the weight off and energy up are constantly burning calories from stored body fats.
How is My Metabolism Functioning?

Increasing or speeding up your metabolism doesn’t mean you are burning more calories from stored body fats. You can burn an extra 300 calories a day on a treadmill, but it doesn’t tell you if you burned calories from fats. 

The quickest way to determine if you are staying in your ‘fat-burning’ zone throughout the day or constantly burning carbs and protein is simple.

Do you struggle with….

1. Cravings or low blood sugar?
2. Mid morning or afternoon slumps?
3. Inability to focus and concentrate?
4. Do you skip breakfast or other meals?
5. Do you regularly eat refined, processed foods or soft drinks?
6. Do you become irritable if your meals are missed or delayed?
7. Do you use stimulants such as coffee or other energy drinks, etc.?
8. Do you have a hard time staying asleep?

If you answered Yes to a few of these questions there is a good chance your metabolism is burning the wrong calories and a primary reason why you have not been able reach your desired health goal.

To improve your metabolism and make sure it is burning calories from stored body fats it is important to understand that blood sugar and your ability to keep it stable throughout the day is critical.  Keeping your stress hormones at normal levels is equally important.  The reason stress (cortisol and adrenaline are your primary stress hormones) and diet (insulin and glucagon are two hormones that regulate blood sugar) needs to be examined is that these hormones trigger your metabolism to either burn fats or store fats.

Skipping meals is the worst thing you can do for your energy and weight loss efforts, because it causes your blood sugar to drop and causes an increase in your stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, two hormones that tell your body to burn carbs and proteins. 

The second worst thing you can do is not eat enough protein or fat in your meal or eating too much refined white flour and white sugar (processed, refined foods). If you are eating a bagel and cup of coffee for breakfast or cereal and a glass of juice or a couple of slices with a soft drink…you don’t have enough good protein and fats to keep your blood sugar stable.  This causes more insulin to be produced which causes your blood sugar to drop rapidly and causes another surge in cortisol and adrenaline. 

The constant rise and fall of your blood sugar along with the spikes in your stress hormones keeps your metabolism from functioning the way it is supposed to.  This is why addressing fatigue and weight gain is more than revving up your metabolism or burning more calories.  You have to address all the issues that are throwing your metabolism off.

Stress is that X-factor that is commonly overlooked, because stress and the hormones that your adrenal glands produce trigger your body to burn calories from the breakdown of carbs and proteins.  So if you are dealing with prolonged stress, which many of us are from the time we wake up until the time we fall asleep, your adrenal glands will pump out more cortisol and adrenaline. 

This tells your metabolism to burn more carbs and lean muscle and takes you out of your ‘fat-burning’ zone. 
It is good to finally start hearing more about adrenal fatigue and exhaustion, because it is truly an over-looked problem that is an underlying problem for many of the health problems out there, and a major reason why a good adrenal support product is a must for almost everyone.

Putting it All Together

Your body burns calories to produce energy by breaking down carbs, proteins or fats.  If you are struggling with fatigue, weight gain and other related problems there is a good chance that your metabolism is burning the wrong fuel.  To restore your metabolism you need to look at how you are regulating your blood sugar and stress hormones.  A quick test can be done by going to our online health quizzes to check and see if your metabolism is functioning properly or if stress is part of the problem.  When you start addressing those issues you will be amazed at how much better you begin to feel.  In “To Burn or Not to Burn – Fat is the Question” many of these issues are discussed, along with how exercise can be a double edge sword when it comes to health and wellness.  It’s not how many calories you burn, its how many calories are you burning from stored body fats?

1: How To Lose Weight

Welcome to Phase 1 of The Lose Weight Diet. For anyone just starting here, let me quickly mention that this weight loss diet plan is completely free. Yes, really. There will be nothing to pay for or sign up for at any time. It's all free. I swear. Now, on to Phase 1.

The purpose of Phase 1 is going to make a ton of sense. You see, in order to successfully reach your weight loss goals, you're going to first need to understand how to lose weight. (I told you it would make sense.) That's what Phase 1 is. A complete, yet easy to understand explanation of exactly what is required for weight loss to take place. How it happens, why it happens, and most important of all... what you need to do in order to make it happen. You can not skip ahead. You will need to know this in order to create your weight loss diet plan in Phase 2.

So, to sum up, by the end of this page you're going to know how to lose weight. Sound good? Great. Let's get to it...

Calories

You know when you eat food and drink drinks? Well, every one of those foods and every one of those drinks contain calories. Say it with me... calories. The reason I'm mentioning calories to you as though you are 5 years old is because the answer to the almighty "how to lose weight" question all revolves around calories. Not only does everything you eat and drink contain calories, but everything you do burns calories. Literally every step you take and every move you make burns calories. In fact, your body actually burns hundreds and even thousands of calories each day on its own just functioning. You could sit still all day and your body would still burn calories.

So now you may be wondering, if everything you eat contains calories, and everything you do burns calories, shouldn't they just cancel each other out? Yes, they should... and they do. If you consume the exact same number of calories that your body burns each day, your weight would stay exactly the same. If your body naturally burns 3000 calories a day, and you happen to eat 3000 calories a day, your weight would not change. In this example, 3000 calories is what's known as a calorie maintenance level. It's the number of calories required for the body to maintain it's current weight.

I should probably have you repeat "calorie maintenance level" with me, because if there's one thing more important than calories when it comes to losing weight... it's your calorie maintenance level.

Calorie Maintenance Level (And the "big secret")

Your calorie maintenance level is pretty useful to know. Think of it like it's your body's weight loss password, and knowing it will get you into your own private weight loss system. Once you're in, you'll be able to control your weight with ease. In fact, for anyone wondering how to lose weight, this is the number at the heart of that answer. The best way I can explain why is by telling you the big secret...

Like I said, every person's body needs a certain number of calories each day in order for them to maintain their current weight. This is your maintenance level. If your diet plan is made up of the SAME number of calories as this maintenance level, your weight will stay the same. However, if your diet is made up of MORE calories than your maintenance level, you will GAIN weight. But... get this... if your diet is made up of LESS calories than your maintenance level... YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT!

Calorie Deficit (Giving your body less calories than it needs)

You just learned the one simple fact that The Lose Weight Diet is based on. Pretty cool huh? I told you, weight loss is all about calories. More specifically, it's about creating a calorie deficit. You need to end up burning more calories than you consume. If your daily calorie maintenance level is 3000 calories, you will lose weight if you started eating 2500 calories a day. You would gain weight if you ate 3500 calories a day. I realize I was only supposed to explain how to lose weight, but you've also just learned how to gain weight.

Did you ever wonder how you gained weight? Now you know. You ate more than your maintenance level. To lose weight, you just need to reverse that. Simple, isn't it? You may have noticed that in the example above I subtracted 500 calories from the maintenance level. Subtracting 500 calories from your maintenance level is the magic weight loss number here. The reason for that is because there are about 3500 calories in 1 pound of fat. So, if you ate 500 less calories each day for 7 days, it would equal the 3500 less calories required to lose 1 pound. (500 x 7 = 3500)

Coincidentally, there are 7 days in a week. So, by eating 500 calories below your daily maintenance level, you would lose about 1 pound per week. Now would be a good time to mention that the healthy, safe, good, smart, and all around right amount of weight to lose for most people is 1 or 2 pounds a week. That is the widely agreed upon correct weight loss speed. I am bringing this up now because some people may be thinking, "If my maintenance level was 3000 calories, why shouldn't I just go straight to eating 1000 calories a day instead of only 2500?" Here's why...

Reducing your calorie intake by so much so fast is wrong, unsafe, unhealthy, bad, unsafe, bad, wrong, unhealthy, stupid, unsafe, wrong, unhealthy, stupid, bad and wrong. Got that? You'd end up losing muscle instead of fat. Your body would go into a state where it actually KEEPS fat. Blah blah blah, blah blah. It would just be the complete opposite of the right thing to do. Remove this idea from your mind.

What about working out?

Here's another thing you may have been thinking. "I know how to lose weight... burn more calories than I consume. I got that. I know I can do this by eating about 500 calories less than my maintenance level. But, instead of eating below my maintenance level, couldn't I just workout more and therefore burn more calories?" The answer is yes. If your maintenance level is 3000 calories a day, and you are eating the full 3000 calories a day, you could lose weight by working out and burning those 500 calories each day. You'd still end up in the same calorie deficit this way just as you would by eating less.

Weight loss is all about being in that calorie deficit. While you can technically accomplish this either way (through diet or workout), for best results and for best all around health, the trick is to do it using a combination of both. A proper diet plan combined with a proper workout is the ideal weight loss scenario. But, I'll talk more about that later. First I need to cover one final Phase 1 question some of you may have.

"While explaining how to lose weight, you have only really mentioned calories. What about protein, carbs and fat? Don't they matter?" The answer is yes.

Protein, Carbs, and Fat

While your total calorie intake is the most important aspect of weight loss, where those calories come from is a close second. As far as calorie choices go, there's really only three; protein, carbs and fat. Despite what the many fad diets and commercial diet plans have scared you into thinking, your weight loss diet NEEDS to contain a good amount of all three. (Exactly how much of each is coming up next.)

So, while you would very likely lose weight just by being below your maintenance level, how much and what types of protein, carbs and fat you eat will indeed play an important role. Don't worry, that will all be explained next.

The end of Phase 1 of The Lose Weight Diet

You have reached the end of Phase 1. Right now you should fully understand how to lose weight. Feels good, doesn't it? I told you this was simple. What you need to do next is use what you just learned to create your own weight loss diet plan. That's what Phase 2 is. In Phase 2 you will learn exactly how to figure out what your calorie maintenance level is and exactly how many calories you should eat each day. You will also learn how much protein, carbs and fat you should be eating along with examples of which foods to get these nutrients from. You ready? Let's go...

Lose Weight Diet

The idea behind this completely free weight loss diet plan is quite simple... it's the ANTI-fad diet. It is the complete opposite of every borderline idiotic and completely unnecessary diet program in existence. It is based strictly on common sense and the simplest and healthiest way the human body was meant to lose weight. It is not based on fancy gimmicks and making sales. The Lose Weight Diet is free. There is nothing to buy or sign up for ever. Every single piece of weight loss information you will need is here (free) for you to read, understand and put into effect.

Is The Lose Weight Diet for everyone?

It's mainly for people who, ya know, want to lose weight. That's pretty much the only requirement here. Oh, and it's also for people who don't want to waste money. If you fit that description, The Lose Weight Diet is definitely for you.

In the shortest form I can explain it, The Lose Weight Diet is four things:

1. Simple
2. Safe
3. Effective
4. Free

If that sounds ideal to you, then sit back and relax. You've found the right place.

What makes it so simple?

The Lose Weight Diet is simple because it isn't based on a gimmick or a fad. Like I said, it is the anti-fad diet plan. It cuts right to the chase and eliminates all of the unnecessary tasks most commercial weight loss diet plans require you to do. After all, it's those unnecessary tasks that are supposed to make their diet program stand out and appeal to you in the first place. Why? So they can make money.

On the other hand, The Lose Weight Diet is all about fact and common sense. It's simply about what works and what doesn't. To sum it all up in one simple sentence, this weight loss plan revolves around reducing your total calorie intake by a small amount, and then just making sure the calories you do consume come in the form of a well-balanced diet consisting of good sources of protein, carbs and fat.

Basically, it's the practical type of diet most often recommended by doctors and experts who aren't trying to sell you something.

Why is The Lose Weight Diet free?

It's free because I am just like you. I'm not a personal trainer, or a nutritionist, or a doctor, or a fitness celebrity. I'm just a regular guy who's been into diet and exercise since 1999 and wants free truthful information about the things I'm interested in.

That's why you're here, isn't it?

Because you're interested in weight loss. Because you want to lose weight without handing over "3 easy payments of $19.95." Because you don't enjoy being sent from page to page of a web site only to end up at a paragraph telling you to "get your credit card ready" so you can "learn all of this and MORE in my weight loss book!" Because being constantly bombarded by hundreds of gimmicky fad diets and commercial weight loss plans gives you a headache. Yeah, I figured so. I feel exactly the same way. That's why The Lose Weight Diet is free.

Who created The Lose Weight Diet?

Your body did. Like I said, this weight loss plan is based solely on how the human body loses weight. It has always been around. It's as simple, safe and effective as any weight loss diet could possibly be.

I know what you're thinking. If what I'm saying is true, why haven't you heard of it before? Simple... because it's never been sold to you. It's never even had a name! It's just how the human body was naturally designed to lose weight, and it's hard to sell a weight loss diet based on that alone. Not to mention, it's pretty hard to sell something that is free.

And me... I have nothing to do with it. All I did was finally give it a catchy name. A phrase people can refer to it as. Something they can respond to their friends with when they ask how they lost weight. "I'm on The Lose Weight Diet." Before that we'd just have to describe what this diet plan is. Now it has a four word title. It just makes it sound more real and official in an industry where every other weight loss program has it's own fancy name to identify it by.

The only other thing I did was give it this web site. The information about the type of diet The Lose Weight Diet is based on is already around. It's not new. I just wanted to give it sort of an official home. A place where people know to go to learn everything they need to know about it, for free. A place people can refer their friends to rather than giving them a name of a book to buy or a program to join. "Everything you need to know is at http://abel-madona.blogspot.com/." It only helps add to the simplicity of this weight loss plan.

What's the deal with the name anyway?

I came up with the name "The Lose Weight Diet" sort of as a joke. It's so damn literal. Weight loss diet plans like The "Atkins" Diet and The "Zone" Diet and The "South Beach" Diet make me laugh. Who cares about some Dr. Atkins guy or some zone or some beach? Cut through all of the useless marketing junk. Your goal is to lose weight, plain and simple. Thus... The "Lose Weight" Diet was born. Slightly funny and very literal. It's the anti-fad.

Start NOW!

Enough already. You've read more than enough information about The Lose Weight Diet to decide if it's right for you. If you don't think it is, fine. I don't mind. Feel free to try any of the hundreds of other weight loss plans around. Go buy their books and their products and their memberships. I honestly don't mind at all. In fact, I wish you the best of luck.

However, if you feel The Lose Weight Diet is indeed right for you... let's get started. I have broken it all down into 3 phases. In order to fully understand and fully follow this weight loss plan effectively, you MUST read through each phase in order. Do not skip anything or jump ahead. Just sit back and relax. You're only 3 steps away from losing weight... for free. Start here: