How To Cut Calories

How To Cut Your Calories by ray0369

Are you trying to cut calories to lose weight? If so, you may be confused by all the numbers you see online and in magazines. It's hard to figure out exactly how many calories to cut to lose weight effectively and keep the pounds off for good. But don't worry. Cutting calories is easier than you might imagine - once you get the facts.

Can I Lose Weight by Cutting Calories Alone?

There are different ways to lose weight - but all of them require that you change your daily calorie balance. The trick is to eat different foods that don't have all those calories. When you eat fresh foods that have never been frozen they don't have any chemical additives and more of your food will be processed and less will be turned into fat. Your not eating less, your eating better.

Experts call this your energy balance. The simplest way to change your energy balance is to cut calories. You can accomplish this by eating smaller portions of food at meal time or by skipping snacks and high-calorie drinks.

You can also add exercise to your weight loss program to increase your calorie deficit and lose weight faster. But be careful. This plan works for some people, but it backfires on others. Exercise is good for your body and should be part of a healthy lifestyle. But exercise can also make you hungry. If you're already cutting calories to lose weight, the added hunger after exercise can be too much, and it may cause you to quit your weight loss program altogether.

Yes, it is possible that the wrong type of exercise will cause hunger and you can gain weight. That's why I suggest that making small tweaks in your diet like cutting out snack or soft drinks, doesn't really work for the long term.

First of all, I believe you have to be honest with yourself and realize the mistakes you made that cause your weight problem. If you want to lose that excess fat you have to admitt to yourself how you got to this place. And resolve in your mind that your going to stop doing those things and live a healthy lifestyle.

If you already exercise, you may be able to reduce calories and maintain your exercise program to lose weight. But if exercise is not a part of your daily routine, start slowly. First, cut calories to lose weight and then slowly add an easy exercise program to increase your weight loss.

How Many Calories Should I Cut to Lose Weight?

If you have decided to live healthier, than start by eating healthy which means eat fresh natural foods. You don't have to get crazy like going vegetarian, but you do have to start eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean fresh meat, not hamburger, white meat poultry, and seafood. For snacks choose nuts and seeds and stop drinking calories. What ever you drink should not have calories. Stop buying processed or manufactured food. We live on a planet that provides us with natural grown foods. Buy organic when ever you can, but in some case it's not necessary like bananas or coconuts. Check the internet for suggestions.

⁣Of course, in order to meet your goal, you need to keep track of how many calories you eat. Another reason to eat all natural foods, you don't have to count calories. You do have to restrict your meat consumption. Most humans eat too much animal meat. Poultry is not animal and the fat on poultry is not as harmful to the body.

Most of the excess fat around your waist is from animal fat and animal fat is marbled in animal meat, you can't trim off the fat marbled through meat. The reason eating poultry and fish is better for you is because the fat isn't marbled through the muscle. You can see and remove that fat. Animal meat should only be eaten in small quantities, about 3 ounces at one time, and only twice a week. The other days you should be eating seafood or poultry. Don't skimp on seafood, eat seafood in some form at least 3 times a week.

It's best to keep a food journal. This way you can find your mistakes. Sometimes when your not losing fat it might be your food preparation. I never eat fried food no matter how healthy the food maybe, frying your food will in oil will change the food and you might even double the calories.

Should I Cut More Calories to Lose Weight Faster? No

So if cutting calories can lead to weight loss, you might be tempted to cut as many calories as possible to slim down. Some dieters even lower their daily food intake to 800 calories or less to lose weight. But extremely low-calorie diets usually don't lead to permanent weight loss for several reasons.

First, very low-calorie diets (VLCD) can affect your metabolism. Some dieters call this "starvation mode." When you eat far less than your body needs, your metabolism slows down to adjust for the lower supply of energy. When your metabolism slows down, your rate of weight loss slows down, too.

Next, very low-calorie diets affect your daily energy level. Why does this matter? Your daily activity level has a big impact on the number of calories you burn every day. If you stay active and burn more calories, you're more likely to see weight loss results. If you're exhausted from eating too little, you won't burn as many calories and weight loss can stall. If your body thinks that your starving it will hoard calories to the point where you might even gain weight. It can do that by adjusting the number of calories the body burns to the point where you almost have no energy anymore. The bodies primary function is to keep you from starving and it will shut down body functions to do that.

You can cut calories to lose weight. But be careful that you don't cut too many calories and risk your health. Your body needs time to adjust to a new lifestyle and a new eating plan. Take it slow and make small adjustments to see real weight loss results that last.

You can make big changes in your body but you have to trick your body into making the changes. So changes will have to be done gradually.

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

Ask Questions Before You Start An Exercise Program

Good post by HealthDay and this author.

Beginners who want to start and exercise program read all this hype about weight loss; buy what I'm selling or use the machine for an hour a day and you to can lose 20 pounds a month. Don't believe all the hype; remember they are trying to make money off of you. 

If you don't do the right exercise for you, you won't lose weight. And if you're doing too much that can cause different problems. If you don't have a doctor to talk with, try a physical therapist. You want to talk with someone who has no financial gain either way.

Anyone who is starting to exercise for the first time in a long time and has 20 pounds or more to lose needs to talk to a doctor first. Strenuous training can injure your heart and that would be permanent. Read the post below and be prepared when you see a doctor.

So you're ready to get fit. Now what? Start by discussing some important issues with your doctor.

The American Council on Exercise advises that you discuss:

• How active do you want to be and how vigorously do you want to exercise?
• Have you been diagnosed with a heart condition?
• Have you fallen or lost your balance at least twice within the last year?
• Do you ever have chest pain during exercise or have irregular or slow heartbeat at rest?
• Do you take any medication for a heart condition or blood pressure problems?
• Do you have pain during exercise or problems with your bones or joints that are affected by exercise?
• Do you have wounds on your feet that don't heal?
• Have you had unexplained weight loss in the last six months?

-- Diana Kohnle

There are different ways to exercise and some ways are good for weight loss and others are good for your heart. Cardio is great for the heart and blood pressure but it doesn't burn much fat.

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. Read some of my other blog posts.

Gettingtoahealthyweight.wordpress.com

idropped40pounds.wordpress.com

howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com

blogonweight.blogspot.com

E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of websites looking for the material you want.

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon.com, BN.com, iBook, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smashwords.com. If you use the Smashwords promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (TL96R). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

Everyone Gains Weight Over The Holidays

We all have spent the last few weeks on an eating binge. You can’t just give up because you gain some weight and blew your diet. Don’t think you're the only one who gained some weight lately. But you can get your eating back on track. Here’s how.

First, Relax
You need some perspective.

You need to eat 3,500 calories to gain one pound of body fat. One unplanned treat — a slice of cake, some fries, or even a rich meal — probably won’t make a major difference on the scale.
“We call these ‘taking timeouts,’ and we all take them,” says San Antonio nutrition consultant Rebecca Reeves, RD. “No one is perfect in their eating habits. What we have to learn is that we are giving ourselves permission to do this, and as soon as it’s over, we should go back to the eating plan we normally follow.”

The goal is to not make a habit of it.
“Most people overeat somewhere between 500 and 1,500 calories every single day,” says cardiologist Allen Dollar, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta.

Don’t Give Up, too many dieters throw in the towel after a splurge, says Kathleen M. Laquale, PhD, a nutritionist and athletic trainer.

“You may feel defeated and say, ‘Oh, I blew my diet … and the heck with it,” Laquale says.
“When you do overindulged, don’t be self-deprecating. You overeat for one day; let’s get back on track again. Let’s be more conscious of our portion sizes the next day.”
Cut Back a Bit, But Not Too Much
Don’t try to make up for the extra calories by skipping meals the next day. That just leaves you hungry.

Instead, cut back throughout the day with a series of small meals packed with fruits and vegetables. Their fiber will help you feel full, says Joan Salge Blake, RD, clinical associate professor at Boston University.
Wait until you’re hungry. Then have a light breakfast such as a bowl of low-fat yogurt and berries.
Mid-morning snack: a piece of fruit and an ounce of low-fat cheese
Lunch: a big salad with lean protein such as fish or chicken, or a whole wheat pita pocket with lettuce and tuna or turkey
Afternoon snack: a cup of vegetable soup and an orange
Dinner: a piece of fish and plenty of vegetables

Skip the Scale

After a feast, you may weigh more. That’s not because you gained body fat, but because of water retention from extra salt that was in the food you ate.
So don’t weigh yourself. Salge Blake tells her clients to weigh themselves on Fridays, when they’re likely to weigh their lowest, since people tend to overindulged more often on the weekends than on weekdays.
Stick to Your Normal Exercise Routine
Exercise is a good idea. But don’t do a mega-workout to try to burn off all the calories you just ate.“If you overload and do more than your regular routine, you could strain a muscle, you could hurt a joint and muscle soreness may set in. Then you can’t exercise,” Laquale says.

Track What You Eat
Set a goal for your daily calories, and write down what you eat or log it in a cell phone APP used to track calories. That helps you stay aware of what you’re eating. For weight loss try to stay below 1600 calories a day. Be sure to include your drinks.
Cut out high-calorie foods and drinks and you’ll have plenty of food. I used an App on my cell phone to plan my meals and then I shopped only for those meals. It works, if the food isn’t in the house you won’t eat it.

This is the time of year when most people want to diet, but it is also the time of year when most weighters give-up. When your truly on a mission to be a thinner you, never give-up. You will go up a little and then go down and when you look at a chart of your progress over a long period of time you should be seeing a downward trend. And even if you don't, don't get upset, this is the time when you need to change your plan. Not every weight loss plan will work for everyone. You need to find the one that works for you. 

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. Read some of my other blog posts.

Gettingtoahealthyweight.wordpress.com

idropped40pounds.wordpress.com

howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com

blogonweight.blogspot.com

E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of websites looking for the material you want.

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon.com, BN.com, iBook, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smashwords.com. If you use the Smashwords promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (TL96R). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

5 Meals A Day For Weight Loss

I understand the concept: Five small meals a day takes the edge off your appetite, evens out blood sugar levels, and keeps your energy steady. But I confess: Who has time to eat this way?

Although my fitness trainer encourages me to eat healthy food every few hours, my meals usually look like this: coffee, a bit more coffee, lunch at 3 p.m., dinner at 9 p.m. I start over again the next morning.

When I decided to change this habit, and the routine of eating the way you eat is just a habit that you can change, I found that doing these five things helped:

1. Plan ahead. Five meals a day equals breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. To do this right, you need to plan what you’ll eat every day for each “meal.” And you need to schedule eating every 2 to 3 hours.The trick is to even out the calories so you eat 300 calories each time your eat. All five meals should be the same size. Larger meals will elevate your blood sugars or glucose level and cause food cravings later. So whether it's a meal or a snack it needs to be the same size, the same amount of calories. 
2. Stock up. Face it: You’re going to grab whatever food is closest. So stock up on veggies, fruit, healthy carbs like whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese.
3. Go for taste. Choose snack foods that will sustain you and taste good. Remember, healthy food can be satisfying. Mixed nuts are my favorite but for a morning snack fruit or greek yogurt is better.
4. Whip up a smoothie. Blend fruit, milk, yogurt, powdered protein and a little honey for a sweet taste. It's a filling snack packed with vitamins, fiber, protein, and calcium. It  might sound crazy but I put peanut butter in and I don't use fruit, I use vegetables like spinach leaves and if I don't want milk, I'll put water. There's dozens of ways to make a protein shake, you can find recipes on the internet.
5. Combine carbs and protein to stay full longer. Try whole wheat toast with peanut butter or a hard-boiled egg; whole-grain pasta with olive oil and cheese; or oatmeal with fruit, milk, and honey. Or make yourself a big pot of soup that includes pasta, beans and chicken to heat up for lunches or snacks.

If your someone who starts the day very early you might want to do 6 meals a day. Make that first meal the first hour your up and finish eating 3 hours before bed. If you have to push the meals closer together, remember to cut the calories a little like 250 each instead of 300.

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. Read some of my other blog posts.

Gettingtoahealthyweight.wordpress.com

idropped40pounds.wordpress.com

howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com

blogonweight.blogspot.com

E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of websites looking for the material you want.

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon.com, BN.com, iBook, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smashwords.com. If you use the Smashwords promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (TL96R). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

Getting Older and Gain Weight

When I was in my 20s, I believed that aging was a natural process that one should let happen, naturally. Why should people cover their gray or try to 'stay cool' by wearing hip clothes? They should just let things happen without fighting it. Twenty-something years later, I suddenly understand that the 'natural process of getting older' is like take a long walk off a short pier. There are some things we can't control as we get older, but one thing we can do something about is our weight. Our bodies may change, but there is something we can do about weight gain.

Why We Gain Weight As We Age

Most people think that gaining weight and getting older go hand in hand, but the reason we gain weight isn't just about getting older, it's about how our habits change. Many of us gain weight because we:

Become more sedentary (we are less active)
Don't lift weights to maintain muscle mass (your muscles get flabby)
While there are some elements we can't control, most of the weight gain that comes with aging can be avoided with a little exercise and improved eat habits.

What You Can Do

The main reason for muscle loss, which lowers metabolism, is that we often spend way too much time sitting - we sit at work, we sit when we watch TV and we sit when we play around on the computer. If we spend too much time doing that when we're younger, it's that much harder to stop doing that when we get older. It follows that being active and lifting weights will help preserve your muscle and increase your bone density while maintaining a higher metabolism.

GET STARTED NOW
Before you get started, see your doctor, especially if you're on any medications or have any pain or injuries you're dealing with. Once you've got clearance to exercise, you can follow this basic approach to getting in shape:

Cardio Exercise: Choose any activity you enjoy or think you might enjoy with some practice like swimming, walking or cycling and try to do that activity at least 3 days a week. Start with what you can handle and gradually add time each week until you can do 30 minutes of continuous activity. More about Cardio for Beginners.

Lift weights: Strength training may be one of the most important parts of your exercise program. You'll build muscle and strength while also working on important areas like balance, stability, and flexibility - all things that tend to decline with age. Learn more about how to get started.

Watch Your Diet: The most important aspect of managing your weight is your diet. Keeping track of your calories and sticking with healthy eating at least most of the time can help you avoid too much weight gain as you get older. Learn more about weight loss for older adults.

Be realistic: As you get older, it will take longer to lose weight, so it helps to focus on the process - getting your workouts in and eating as healthfully as possible. Do that and your body will respond in its own time.

If you find it hard to start or stick with an exercise program, motivate yourself by remembering what you do for your health when you exercise: you feel better, you look better, you reduce your chances of heart disease and diabetes and, best of all, you're doing what your body was meant to do: moving around.

You can tweet me at #ray0369

I write several blogs, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonlosingweight.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebooks at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

My new ebook is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/couponThere’s two ebooks. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

Trying To Find The Right Weight Loss Program

Advertisers bombard you with weight loss advertising. It's a huge industry that's looking

for a piece of your money. Don't swallow everything you hear or read, most of it is just

Hype. Most weight loss plans give you quick results but when 100 dieters were

interviewed one year later, almost 90% had put the weight back on.

Finding a reliable weight loss program is important. More than a third of people in the U.S.

are considered obese. And it's not just adults. The CDC says 1 in 6 kids are dealing with

the condition, too. Weighing too much puts you at risk for many serious health problems,

including diabetes and heart disease.

"Eat less and exercise more" has always been the golden rule for dropping pounds. But how do you really accomplish that? Here are the five must-haves in a weight loss program, according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins.

1) Plenty of interaction and support. You want ongoing contact with the program's support team. Researchers recommend at least 14 sessions over 6 months. This might be in person or by phone or email. "Support is so critical in helping people through the weight loss process," Gudzune says.

2) Diet changes that are backed by science. "Things like the Paleo diet are very hot right now but haven't been studied with their effects on weight loss," Gudzune says. You want an approach that has solid evidence to support it works. This might be a low-calorie eating plan or meal replacements, or a well-studied diet for weight loss, like Atkins, she says.

3) Exercise encouragement. Opt for a program with some type of plan to get you moving more. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity (like walking) each week. You can divvy that up however you like. Keep in mind that exercise is key if you want to stay at your lighter weight once you've dropped pounds, but doctors say it's hard to lose weight with just exercise alone.

4) Behavior strategies. Your program should encourage things like weighing yourself, meal planning, or tracking your food or exercise.

5) Approved meds only. Steer clear of programs that push fat burners or other supplements that aren't FDA-approved for weight loss. The FDA offers a list of dangerous weight loss products. You can sign up for email alerts, too. 

Weight loss is about changing what you eat and less about how much you eat. If you eat fresh, healthy food I think you can eat all you want. Fresh, healthy food  is not processed, it's fresh, not frozen vegetables, fruit, lean meat, mostly fish,  brown rice, and drink mostly water, tea or coffee. Don't add anything with calories and avoid dairy.  

Follow a diet like this and don't go back to your old ways. Never cheat, no cheat days allowed and increase the walking and you will lose fat. The more you walk the faster you'll lose fat. I believe the more a person walks the longer they will live.

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. Read some of my other blog posts.

Gettingtoahealthyweight.wordpress.com

idropped40pounds.wordpress.com

howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com

blogonweight.blogspot.com

E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of websites looking for the material you want.

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon.com, BN.com, iBook, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smashwords.com. If you use the Smashwords promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (TL96R). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

How Does Weight Loss Happen?

This article is taken from WebMD and is worth a read. If you're having trouble losing weight this is a "must read". I had to learn more about how the body works before I lost my body fat.

So you’re finally ready to lose weight. Now the question is: How?

The standard advice -- to eat less and move more -- isn’t so helpful when it comes to the “how.” You probably know you need to cut calories, but how many? Are you better off getting those calories from low-fat or low-carb foods? And what’s going on with your metabolism, your personal energy-burning furnace? Is it programmed to keep you overweight? Is there any way to fan the flames so you can dream of one day eating a piece of pie without gaining a pound?

Even science is still stumped on many of the basic questions of weight loss.

“Amazingly, in this era of obesity, there are still many things that we really don’t know,” says Robin Callister, PhD, professor of human physiology at the University of Newcastle in Australia.

Here’s what we do know about some of the most persistent mysteries of weight loss.

There are new calculators, like the Body Weight Planner available from the NIH and the Weight Loss Predictor from Pennington. Give them a few key details, like your sex, age, weight, height, activity level, and the date you want to hit your goal, and they’ll give you a more realistic daily calorie goal to get you there.

Once you know how many calories you need to eat every day, where should they come from? Is it better to cut carbs or cut fat? How much protein do you need each day? Will having a drink torpedo all your hard work?

Let’s start with the alcohol.

“There’s a big debate on whether alcohol calories are even useable, whether you can even turn them into fat. It’s not easy,” says Ken Fujioka, MD, a weight loss expert at Scripps Health in San Diego, CA. “When you look at various studies you actually get mixed results. Some studies say it’s not a problem, don’t worry about it, others say it’s associated with weight gain. So it’s a real open mess.”

Fujioka counsels his patients to pay attention to how alcohol affects their eating.

“Some folks, when they drink alcohol, feel like they have license to eat whatever they want to, and they get into problems.” If a glass of wine weakens your will to resist that plate of cheese and crackers, it’s not doing your waistline any favors. But if booze doesn’t affect your eating, then one or two drinks is probably OK, he says. As for calories from fat, carbohydrates, and protein, this is where one size, or one eating plan, really doesn’t fit all. 

There is good science to show that people who have high blood sugar levels -- associated with conditions like type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, and fatty liver disease -- benefit from diets that are lower in refined carbohydrates and higher in healthy fats and lean proteins. Examples of this kind of diet are South Beach, the Zone diet, the Mediterranean diet, and the low GI diet.

If insulin levels aren’t a concern, there’s little difference in the amount of weight people lose if they cut their calories from fat or from carbs, says Kevin Hall, PhD, a senior investigator and expert in metabolism at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, MD. But he says protein calories are a different story.

That last paragraph was very important, "the way you will lose weight will be different depending on how much body fat you have." We know that we have to eat to lose weight. And we also know that we all can't eat the same foods to lose weight. Your condition will dictate what diet is right for you. This is where your doctor can help. You might have to change medication if you change the foods you're eating.

In the lab, researchers have shown that higher-protein diets tend to increase the number of calories a person burns, Hall says. “So in that sense, a protein calorie is not equivalent to a carbohydrate or a fat calorie,” he says.

Protein helps you burn more calories during the day and helps preserve muscle. When people lose weight, they don’t just lose fat -- they also lose muscle. The more muscle you lose on a diet, the more your metabolism slows. That can make it tough to keep the weight off down the road. Protein also helps you feel satisfied for longer after your eat.

But people can eat only so much protein without changing their kidney function. U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that adults keep their protein in a range of 10% to 35% of total calories each day. Most diets fall into that range. Atkins, for example, one of the highest protein diets around, supplies 35% of daily calories from protein. 

“The potential to gain weight and become obese is in everybody. But for some people, the potential is clearly genetically much, much higher,” he says.

So far, more than 30 genes have been flagged as being linked to body mass index. The one most strongly tied to obesity is called the FTO gene. Researchers recently reported that people who get a faulty copy of that gene are more likely to store calories as fat instead of burning them for energy. 

Though FTO is the most powerful single gene found to date, it doesn’t explain all obesity. Fujioka says obesity is probably the sum of many genes working together.“The more genetic flaws you get that lead you to obesity, you’re more like a loaded gun. The environment will pull the trigger and you’ll just get heavy.” Whereas people who don’t inherit those risk genes will be protected, to some extent, from weight gain, no matter how badly they eat.

Men vs. Women

If losing weight with your mate has you discouraged, ladies, take heart.

Yes, it’s true -- pound for pound, a man on a diet will drop 10 pounds faster than you can say “please pass the celery.” And researchers think that’s probably more of a size problem than a sex difference. Men are bigger than women and naturally carry more muscle, the tissue that burns the greatest number of calories. So they do have an easier time losing weight.

But here’s the thing about men: They start strong, but they often can’t sustain the effort.

“At 3 months, men are ahead -- definitely ahead on absolute weight loss,” says Callister, who recently conducted a study of studies, or meta-analysis, to look at the big picture of sex differences in weight loss. “But by 6 months, there’s no difference,” she says.

But do men really lose a bigger percent of their overall weight when they diet than women do?

Surprisingly, few studies have looked at that question. Callister says we still don’t know the answer.

One interesting study, though, compared the weight loss between men and women who had gastric bypass weight-loss surgery. The study found that after 24 months, there was no significant difference in the percent of weight lost by men or women after bariatric surgery. On average, men had lost about 66% of their excess weight, while women had lost about 73% of their extra pounds.

And here’s more heartening news: While women may take a little longer to shed the same weight as men, Callister says they seem to do a better job keeping it off, perhaps because they lost it more gradually in the first place.

What’s the Best Exercise for Weight Loss?

When it comes to dropping pounds, there’s no substitute for pushing back from your plate. But what about exercise?

While it’s important for overall health and mental well-being, it’s probably not going to help you dramatically shrink your size.

“It has dozens and dozens of benefits, but when it comes to producing clinically meaningful weight loss -- weight loss of 5% to 10% or more -- you really want to focus on dieting,” Martin says.

Exercising when you’re trying to lose weight is tricky. It does help burn calories, but not nearly as many as not eating those calories in the first place. And exercise increases appetite, so if you’re working out intensely, it’s really easy to eat back all the calories you just burned.

Martin recommends that people who are trying to lose weight focus on moderate-intensity physical activities, like brisk walking or gardening.

The National Weight Control Registry, which tracks people who’ve successfully lost 30 pounds and kept it off for a year or longer, reports that 94% of members have increased their physical activity in some way. The most frequently reported form of exercise is walking.

Where exercise becomes critically important is for weight maintenance. Martin says most people who successfully lose weight and keep it off exercise a lot -- nearly an hour a day.

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