How to Lose Weight Without Changing an Exercise Routine

When it comes down to it, weight loss is a simple mathematical game. If you create a calorie deficit -- meaning you consume fewer calories than you burn -- you will lose weight. There's really only two ways to create a calorie deficit, by increasing your exercise or cutting calories. If you're happy with your exercise routine, you'll need to trim calories from your diet to shed pounds.

Tips For You

1. Calculate your basal metabolic rate using the appropriate formula. For women, the formula is 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years). For men the formula is 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in year). This will give you the number of calories that you will burn from basic biological functions. For example, a 200-pound 28-year-old male who is 70 inches tall will burn 2,011 calories from basic biological functions.
2. Multiply your basal metabolic rate by the appropriate factor based on your activity level. If you are sedentary, multiply by 1.2. If you exercise one to three times a week, multiply by 1.375. If you exercise three to five days a week, multiply by 1.55. If you exercise six to seven days a week, multiply by 1.725. If you have a highly physical occupation or exercise more than once a day seven days a week, multiply by 1.9. This will give you your daily calorie requirements to maintain weight. For instance, if your basal metabolic rate is 2,011 and you exercise twice a week, you need to consume 2,765 calories to maintain your weight.
3. Consume 500 to 1,000 calories a day fewer than your daily requirements for weight maintenance. A 500-calorie-a-day deficit works out to about 1 pound of weight loss per week, while a 1,000-calorie-a-day deficit doubles the weight loss to about 2 pounds per week.