There’s a secret to losing weight that most people don’t really know, and believe it or not, it’s tied up with maths. Let’s start with some basic assumptions:

1. If you started exercising to lose weight, you’re carrying extra weight.
2. If you’re carrying extra weight, you’ve been consuming more calories than you’ve burned.
3. Your body burns calories in metabolism, digestion, exercise, and daily activities.

Let’s put some numbers to this and let’s also assume that your weight has gradually increased over the years.

1. You’re careful with your food and drink and consume around 2,500 calories a day.
2. In a normal day, you burn around 1,500 calories a day.
3. You are storing 1,000 calories a day.

You join a gym and do a good 30-minute workout 3 times per week. At best, you’ll burn 300 calories each time, or 900 calories per week. Divide this by 7 days, and that means that you are burning an extra 129 calories a day on average.

• Add this 129 to the 1,500 you normally burn = around 1,629 calories a day.

Now, remember that you’re consuming 2,500 calories a day.

• Subtract the 1,629 calories you’re burning from the 2,500 you’re consuming = 871 calories a day that you’re still storing.

You’ll continue to put on weight, but at a slower rate. “So,” you say, “I’ll just do some more exercise until I start losing weight.”

Let’s go back to the maths.

Brisk walking burns around 7 calories a minute.

• Divide the extra 871 calories a day by 7, and you’ll walk for 124 minutes – over 2 hours a day!

This still wouldn’t mean losing weight, just that you’d stop gaining and stay at your current weight. “I might as well give up!” you say. Not so fast.

Reset your weight

Weight loss is easier if you have a clear and doable plan to reduce your calories and to manage your hunger, cravings, your body’s responses to the foods you eat.

1. Your personalised eating plan is designed to suit your tastes, your lifestyle, and your family.
2. We know that sticking to any change is hard, so special one-on-one coaching sessions each week help overcome challenges and keep you accountable and motivated.
3. Your exercise sessions can be individual or part of a larger group – whatever works best for you.
4. Weekly relaxation sessions help with reducing stress and taking some much-deserved time-out.

If losing weight is one of your goals, you have two choices:

• Measure your weight today. Try to exercise yourself slim and be your own weight loss coach. Measure yourself in one month’s time. If you haven’t lost weight, do the next option.
• Enrol in the Reset Program. You’ll get your own personalised plan and the support you really need. Best of all, you see the kilos gradually and consistently fall off.

A free weight loss assessment takes just 35 minutes.  Call your nearest Healthy Inspirations centre to talk to a Health Coach about how it might work for you.