Week 16/25: Weight Management 101
A Simple Two-Phase Guide
Welcome, my faithful CDs!
This week, we're switching things up. For the last fifteen weeks, I’ve been posting health hacks at the end of my blogs. While I'm not an expert, I've spent the last five years researching nutrition and fitness as a hobby. This week, I'm summarizing it into a two-phase actionable guide to help you get started, keep going, and easily simplify the overload of information on the internet.
PHASE I → Strategizing Transformation
Before you start on the path to achieving your health and wellness goals, complete these two simple steps:
Step 1 → What is your primary goal? [Select one]
[ ] Lose weight
[ ] I am happy with my current weight, not with my shape!
[ ] Gain weight (aesthetically with muscle of course!)
Step 2 → Calculate your TDEE!
(Total daily energy expenditure estimates how many calories your body burns daily. You can this many calories daily and stay the same weight.)
Click on this link, complete the form, and note your results:
Your TDEE = XXXX calories (Note this number down)
Keep reading to unlock your health and fitness!
Sounds too good to be true? Well, it is that simple!
You may wonder, why I asked you your primary goal or made you calculate your TDEE. That is because most people are currently in one of three possible positions:
Position 1 → You are under your desired weight [Want to gain weight to look aesthetic]
Position 2 → You are at your desired weight [Stay at the same weight but look aesthetic]
Position 3 → You are above your desired weight [Reduce weight and look aesthetic]
💡 You'll notice that the ultimate goal for each position is to achieve a more aesthetic look [toned, muscular, defined]. However, the strategies to reach this common goal differ for each position.
We discussed your primary goal to determine which position you are in!
You figured out your position and strategy. Now what?
Once you've determined how much you're going to eat, you need to pay some attention to WHAT you're eating. Don't worry, this doesn't mean you can never have sugar or pizza again. However, you do need to focus on:
💡 CONSUMING AT LEAST 0.8 TO 1.0 TIMES YOUR BODY WEIGHT (IN LBS) IN GRAMS OF PROTEIN.
Why so much protein?
Protein is essential during resistance training because it helps in the repair, recovery, and growth of muscle tissues that are broken down during these workouts. It provides the necessary amino acids, the building blocks of muscle, helping you to gain strength and increase muscle mass. Additionally, consuming protein after resistance training can enhance the body's recovery process and promote muscle synthesis.
💡 Phase I (Conclusion)
Eat above, below, or at your TDEE, engage in resistance training, and consume sufficient protein. These three actions will help you achieve your desired body shape.
PHASE II → Executing Transformation
Now that we know how much we need to eat, we will focus on executing our transformation strategy. Most people make the mistake of jumping straight to this phase and ignoring the strategy. Trying to perfect this recipe without strategizing leads to chaos, which often causes people to give up.
Remember, you have already done the hard part; now execution should be much less overwhelming.
The execution strategy will focus on just two things:
Diet
Fitness
Diet
There are mainly three things to keep in mind here:
Eat high-protein foods
Check out these diet-based protein cheat sheets I’ve curated to help you meet your protein goals. Of course, you can always supplement this with whey or plant-based protein.
Beware of foods you think are high-protein and low-calorie but will make you fat
If you eat something thinking, "This is healthy, I should eat as much of this as I want," STOP and THINK AGAIN.
You may eat a lot of avocados thinking it is healthy (and it is), but it also comes with a ton of calories.
If you’re trying to lose weight and paying extra for that guac in your chipotle bowl, think again!Just because someone makes olive-oil cake or uses brown sugar instead of white doesn't mean you can consume as much as you want. It is as densely caloric as a regular cake.
Read my article of some foods that are commonly perceived as healthy but are high in calories
💡 In general, I believe that in nutrition, less is more. Allow yourself to indulge, but too much of anything is not good.
Fitness
Honestly, I have no specific recommendations about a particular program or type of exercise. I’m no expert!
But I do have some personal opinions:
Don’t just walk or run on the treadmill: It might help you lose some weight in the short term, but it's an unsustainable way to get in shape. Don’t get me wrong, cardio is important, but only doing cardio is not the right approach.
Some form of resistance training will allow you to eat more, improve your appearance (which is what most people want), and prevent you from playing a plus-minus game.PLAN AHEAD: This is by far the most important step! Most people think going to the gym is a motivation problem, but it's not. It's the feeling of being uncomfortable or even inferior compared to others around you. Yes, I’m describing the gym. If you’ve ever felt this, it's not because you lack motivation. After all, you did physically get yourself there. But, just like how pineapple feels on pizza, you feel the same in the gym.
So, if you’re planning to start going to the gym, plan your workout! 10 pushups, 5 pull-ups, whatever it is. Don’t assume you will go and have an epiphany and figure out how to do an effective workout.
IT JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN.Have Short-Term Goals: Don’t rely on long-term visions of your perfect body for motivation. It can feel too distant and make you want to give up when motivation fades.
Set short-term goals:I will go to the gym x weeks in a row
I will do 1 more push-up or sit-up than I did last week
💡 Setting short-term goals will renew that feeling of achievement more frequently, making sure you stay motivated towards your goal!!
Let’s use the table below to make your first rough workout schedule. Remember to add in some rest days! “I can’t workout, what should I do?”
If you cannot exercise for some reason:
Eating more than your TDEE will make you gain fat.
Eating at your TDEE will let you maintain your weight but won’t change your current shape.
Eating less than your TDEE will make you lose weight.
Some Final Thoughts
Achieving your health and wellness goals doesn't have to be complicated. By understanding your primary goal, calculating your TDEE, and focusing on a balanced diet rich in protein, you can make significant progress.
Remember to engage in resistance training and set short-term goals to keep yourself motivated.
Phase I helps you strategize, while Phase II focuses on execution. Stay consistent, plan ahead, and don't forget to celebrate small victories along the way.
Your journey to a healthier, more aesthetic you is just a few disciplined steps away. Keep pushing forward, and soon you'll see the results you've been working towards.
If you found this useful,
you can find all this information, along with nutrition cheat sheets, FAQs, and much more on this CwG Health and Wellness Guide!
Thank You for Reading!
If you've enjoyed reading this, please subscribe and share with friends who might, too. See you all next week!
I'd love to hear from you — thoughts, health tips, song recommendations, or anything at all.
Reach out to me!
~ Email: kanavghai130@gmail.com