More than workouts and eating healthy meals, weight loss is about sustainability and healthy choices. The same can be achieved by understanding how your body works. As per fitness influencer Lathan (@bassbuiltfitness), who lost almost 45 kg (100 pounds), one has to keep 6 numbers in mind - From the protein intake to how many steps you should be walking daily. Scroll down to learn the weight loss tips he suggested, inspired by his very own fitness journey.

Weight loss simplified with numbers

According to Lathan, weight loss can be simplified if one understands certain numbers to keep one's health in check. He captioned the clip, “As someone who has lost 100 pounds (45.35 kg approximately), here's 6 numbers you should know to make weight loss easier (sic).” In the first tip, he suggested knowing your ‘protein goals’ that will help you to ‘build muscle, reduce hunger, and increase satiety’.

“Take your body weight in pounds and multiply by 0.7. [For instance,] 200 lbs x 0.7 = 140 grams per day. If you get more, that’s good too,” he wrote.

Next, he suggested that his followers learn their ‘calorie numbers’, which is the number of calories they consume. “To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit. Take your goal body weight and multiply by 12. 175 lbs x 12 = 2100 calories per. This isn’t perfect, and you have to adjust up or down a bit based on your activity level, but this gives you a place to start,” he explained.

Next, he advised those on a weight loss journey to keep track of their sleep and step numbers - which is sleeping 7-8 hours and walking 8-10k steps daily. He stated, “Sleep is underrated for weight loss. Lack of sleep contributes to more hunger, less satiety, worse food choices, losing more muscle, and losing less fat mass. To prevent this, aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night (sic).” He added, “[Walking] has tons of mental and physical benefits, plus more steps equals more calories burned. A good goal is to work your way up to 8-10k steps per day.”

Water intake and workout

Lathan also stressed the importance of hydration during weight loss. According to him, dehydration is often mistaken for hunger. Additionally, liquid calories add up to your weight quickly. Therefore, one should stick to water or other zero-calorie drinks. To measure how much water you should consume daily, Lathan suggested a quick calculation. “Take your body weight in lbs and divide by two, and that’s your minimum water intake per day,” he said.

Lastly, exercise is helpful for weight loss and general health. According to the fitness coach, the sweet spot for a lot of people is between 3-5 workouts per week. He added, “[It is] even better if these workouts include strength training. Weight loss can be overwhelming, but knowing these numbers can help simplify things and set you up for success.”

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