Ask Me Help Desk

newbie, hi, that is good you are cutting down on junk foods. Please bear with me while I explain, as I will be somewhat lengthy. Thanks. My specialty is metabolism and weight loss, and I used to be a personal trainer.

At this stage, you certainly do not want to stop cold turkey doing everything you have always done before. Otherwise, your body will go into a withdrawal and "shock" state, where you'll end up craving for just about everything you can get you hands on. And, the more this cycle of so called "yo-yo" dieting occur, the more unwanted weight you will gain back and more, and the harder and longer it is to lose weight, until your body stops responding to your weight-lost efforts. During this time, this is when your body goes into "protective mode, or self-preservation mode", as you mentioned about people re-gaining their weight.

So, in order for you to lose any weight at all, you should take things slowly, and therefore, lose the weight you want to slowly and safely.

This is a mindset you will have to train yourself into. There is really no "magic weight loss pill" as so many pop ads and magazines may have you believe, although there are some vitamin pills you can take to increase your metabolism, but I don't recommend it nor any herb supplements, unless your doctor and /or a registered dietitian suggests so.

Because in general, habits take at least 3 weeks to change to take on a new perspective, you should likewise stick to a safe weight-loss plan at least 3 weeks in order to lose measurable weight.

You did mentioned you would like to lose from 3 to 4 kg of weight, which is about 6.5 to 8.5 or 9 lbs. Normally, you can expect to lose about 1 lb. or 0.46 kg of body weight per week. Any more than that per week would be leaning toward the unsafe side. Of course, losing weight based on water content is misleading.

So, what you have to do at this point is to cut down 500 KCAL per day of your eating portions you are used to. After 1 week, 500 KCAL per day X 7 days is 3,500 KCAL, which is what constitues 1 whole lb. or 2.2 kg.

However, the calculation here is theoretical, and you may lose more or less KCAL per day depending on your metabolism, age, sex, height, current weight, fitness level, medical history, eating habits, lifestyles, and even body type. So, losing weight may or may not be as "fast" or as "slow" as you would expect. Don't get discouraged if you see your weight fluctuates day-in-day-out. This is normal as your body is getting used to your routine and water shifts. The important thing is you are CONSISTENT with what you eat, how you eat, when you eat, and light exercise such as walking.

You already know WHAT to eat and not to eat. HOW and WHEN you eat is more important. Now, complete digestion takes about anywhere from 2 hours up to the entire day, but normally from 2 hours to 6 or 7 hours. And that is after 1 single meal sitting! That means you should not snack heavily in between your 3 main meals. Including no soda drinks, coffee, beer, or slurpies.
Space out your 3 main meals every 3 to 4 hours, and snacking on light healthy foods--such as a fruit like an apple or a banana--2 hours after each meal, or 1/2 cup of any vegetable if you like--such as cut-up carrots, either raw or steamed. Also, during your snacks or anytime in between your main 3 meals, drink as much water as you are comfortable. Believe it or not, water not only fills you up, but it also helps your body burn fat (among other things)!

Since digestion takes that many hours to complete before you are hungry again, I suggests eating dinner no later than 6 PM. Wait at least 2 hours before you to bed. Me, I wait for at least 4 hours before I go to sleep. Gravity helps metabolize foods in your body while you are standing, sitting up, and moving. That is why sleeping should not take place right after you sleep or within that 2 hours or so of "digestion time window". :D