Effective Strategies for Successful Weight Loss

Your body needs a certain number of calories for basic operations like pumping blood, breathing and kidney function. This number, referred to your basic metabolic rate, depends on age, activity level and weight, but generally ranges from 1200 to 2200 per day. If you eat more calories than what your body needs, the extra calories are stored as fat. Conversely, when you consume fewer calories than what your body needs, your body starts burning those stored calories. It makes sense then, that if you keep the number of consumed calories below your rate each day for many days, you will lose weight.

Your basic metabolic rate can be calculated using the Harris-Benedict formula:

• Adult male: 66 + (6.3 x body weight in lbs.) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)
• Adult female: 655 + (4.3 x weight in lbs.) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Examples

• A 28 year old female weighing 130 and 5'7" needs 1398 calories a day to operate.
• A 19 year old male weighing 150 and 6'2" needs 1836 to operate.

*This doesn't include exercise, sports or even basic motor functions. To calculate how many calories your body burns in a day, go here

This is a simple concept, and not a new one: Thinking about and understanding how and why people lose weight isn't difficult, it's sticking to the diet for long enough to make a difference that can be a challenge.  You have to maintain a low calorie diet for a long enough period of time to drop a significant amount of weight. Sure, you can eat only raw vegetables and run on the treadmill for hours, and you will absolutely lose weight- But how long can you maintain that kind of restrictive diet and exercise regimen? How long will it take before you want to toss the carrots and chow a burger covered in a derivative of 'cheddar cheese'?

How to Lose Weight

Scientifically designed meals and snacks, like the ones sold at Nutmeg State Nutrition, are created to help you lower the amount of calories you take in and minimize negative side effects like cravings, hunger and agitation. NSN Products are nutritious, rich in protein and fiber to help you feel satisfied and curb cravings. These products are part of a diet that is maintainable over a long period of time, significantly raising your chances for success.

Consider this: You have 80 calories left in the day, and you spend those 80 calories on a snack size Snickers bar. Your blood sugar spikes, but then you crash and crave. If you had spent those same 80 calories on an apple, an egg, or a protein bar, you would not have the same crash. Your diet could become easier to maintain. One NSN bar would make you feel satisfied, one snickers will leave you worse off than you were before. Another example, you can have an entire jar of pickles, (almost 0 calories) or two single M&M candies (7 calories). Which one do you think is the going to make you feel more satisfied?

Another benefit to starting a Nutmeg State Nutrition meal plan is that it removes the need to calculate calories and portions. No more measuring 1.3 oz. of this mixed with a half tablespoon of that. You won't need to bring your food scale to the office to measure out 2 ounces of almonds. The correct amounts are already measured for you, eliminating the portion guessing game. The process is simplified for an easy to grab and go meal.

Simply put, this diet works because it's easy to maintain. It is designed to reduce cravings and calories, while maintaining the "satisfied" feeling. You don't have the high peaks and lows, and the bars, shakes, snacks and meals are easy to grab in a pinch. Replacing your current diet with the foods at Nutmeg State Nutrition is a smart and very easy solution to weight-loss.

Find the right meal balance for you, but please be sure to check with your doctor before starting any new weight loss plan, especially if you have diabetes, high blood pressure or any other ailment.