Last updated on September 21, 2020
Question:
Do you know any way to lose weight? I am really overweight. I’m starting to get a few stretch marks on my stomach. I have a huge eating disorder where I can’t eat most healthy foods. I really need help. I don’t want this to last because it is embarrassing, and I get bullied because of my weight.
Answer:
Dieting isn’t hard to accomplish. What makes it hard is convincing yourself that you can do with fewer calories. The general rule is that if you eat less than what you use, you’ll lose weight. It takes eating roughly 500 fewer calories per day to lose a pound a week. So if your weight is currently fairly stable, then cutting out 500 calories that you would normally eat each day will cause you to lose. The other side of the equation, which should be done at the same time is increasing your exercise so that you burn an extra 200 to 500 calories each day. The result is that you end up losing about 1 to 2 pounds a week which is a safe rate.
This rule only works for short term weight loss. Over time your body adapts to the calorie restriction. To counter this you have to also increase your exercise slightly. There is a calculator that you can use to better estimate how much you should eat and exercise for your target weight. See Body Weight Planner.
Tell me what your disorder is and what you can and cannot eat. Let me know your height and weight, and also what you typically eat during the day (you might have to keep a journal for a few days). From there we can start figuring out a diet plan for you.