Diets often fail because we go blind. We cut the sugar, double the sports sessions, we jump meals. And when it doesn’t work, we start again. Good news, a simple calculation allows you to target a specific objective and remain motivated.
It is often believed that those who cannot keep their diet lacks motivation. Whether they abandon too early or have enough discipline. In reality, it is because they lack a landmark. They don’t know where they are going, or how long it will take. Result: as soon as the scale stagnates, they relax.
Indeed, the frequent error is to want to go fast. Set up an arbitrary date – a marriage, in summer, a back to school – and impose a rhythm that does not hold. We lower the portions, we deprive ourselves, we weigh each other every two days, then … we crack! But if we know from the start the number of days necessary to achieve the targeted objective, the relationship to the body changes. We no longer seek an immediate effect, we build a progression. And it is not a question of feelings or marketing promise, it is mathematical.
However, the idea is not to count everything, nor to transform each plate into an Excel spreadsheet. Rather, it is a question of placing a frame. And for that, just a few very simple data. First, a reasonable objective: according to specialists, a loss of 10 % of the initial weight is a good starting point. For example, if you weigh 60 kilos, a loss of 6 kilos will be the most reasonable. It is a percentage that has proven itself: it improves metabolic parameters, reduces fat without affecting muscle mass and remains reachable for most people.
Once this objective is defined, it must be translated into physical reality. Not in centimeters of size, but in calories. It is estimated that a kilo of body fat is equivalent to 7,000 calories. In other words, if you want to convert your 6 kilos to lose calories, you will have to multiply them by 7,000, or 42,000 calories.
In addition, to lose weight without exhausting your body, professionals recommend creating an energy deficit, that is to say to spend more calories than you consume. This deficit should ideally be around 400 to 500 calories per day. This pace is effective enough for the results to appear and soft enough to avoid side effects such as fatigue, cravings, slowdown in metabolism. This deficit can come from an adapted diet, from regular physical activity or, better, both. But above all, it must be constant.
You will understand, to find out how many days you will reach your slimming goal, here is the formula to remember: (weight to lose in kg × 7000) ÷ daily caloric deficit = estimated number of days.
We summarize: if you want to lose 6 pounds, this represents around 42,000 calories. With a deficit of 500 calories per day, you will therefore put 84 days, or twelve weeks to reach your goal.
