As YWN is constantly searching for new features to add to the website, we have decided to start posting weekly columns, editorials, and ‘op-eds’. The first in column will be a weekly health column written by Alan Freishtat [his info is posted below], and will be posted in the YWN Health Section which can be found on the left side & listed under the “News Feature”. Additional columns will be implemented in the next few weeks.

This weeks column is titled “The Weight Loss Equation”

High protein; low protein. High carb; low carb. Good carbs; bad carbs. The glycemic index is valid; the glycemic index is unproven, misused, and misunderstood. The information on weight loss and nutrition is confusing and sorting it all out is almost impossible. With well over 65% of us overweight, and over 25% obese, the goal of weight-loss has become first and foremost in the minds of most people and in the minds of medical professionals as well. To add to the confusion, many dieters brag about how successful they were on their various diets, and then in 98% of cases, within five years, they gained it all back, and possibly more. So, just how does one lose weight and keep it off?

Here in Israel, we are consuming a daily average of 3,765 calories. That’s far more than we need in a day. For most people, weight gain happens over a long period of time.  It’s not difficult to consume 50 calories per day more than you need or than you use. That will give you a 5-pound gain per year.  Keep that up for a number of years and you will be obese.

Let’s understand some basics of how many calories we need to consume per day in order to maintain our weight and then see what we need to do to lose. The first step is to determine what our basal metabolic rate is. That is, how many calories does our body use as energy to sustain itself throughout one day, without doing extra activity or exercise.  At rest (for example, while sitting at the computer or reading), the human body burns only about 12 calories per pound of body weight per day (26 calories per kilogram). This formula is approximate and you can find metabolic calculators on the Internet. That means that if you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg), your body uses only about 150 X 12 = 1,800 calories per day. This means that in order to lose weight, you need to cut down on the number of calories you consume per day. One pound is 3,500 calories, so in order to lose a pound per week; you would need to consume 500 fewer calories per day. But a word of caution: consuming too few calories can slow your metabolic rate and can cause nutrition deficiencies. 1,000 calorie a day diets DO NOT WORK in the long term and will leave you lacking nutrients.

Since cutting calories can be a difficult task, we need to think not only about calorie consumption, but also about caloric expenditure. By being active, walking instead of driving and not using elevators, you could very easily burn 200 calories a day, in which case, you would need to cut 300 calories per day to lose one pound per week. If you begin to exercise, you will see the greatest results. You can probably end up losing more than a pound a week if you exercise properly, stay active wherever possible, and cut your calories. Aerobic exercise will also greatly improve your cardiovascular health. By doing resistance training, you can actually raise your metabolic rate and keep your muscles and connective tissue in good working order through the aging process. So, if you want to lose weight and keep it off, forget about all the diet books out there. All research has shown that to date, 98% of people who go for these types of weight loss programs fail in the long term. Learn basic nutrition! Learn about what your nutritional requirements are and eat for your health. Stay active and exercise.

That’s the combination that works best. Losing weight in a healthy and sensible manner is another way to “add hours to your day, days to your year, and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 10 years of professional experience. He is the director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss center Lose It! and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at [email protected].

(Alan Freishtat – YWN)