Step on it!
Wisconsin weight loss coach Amber Clemens is sharing the five steps you should take to lose 15 pounds by the end of the year — burn more calories than you eat, set a daily step goal, reduce calories from beverages, commit to 30 minutes of joyful exercise four times a week and increase your protein and fiber.
“I lost 160 pounds all through diet and exercise,” Clemens, who shed 160 pounds from 2018 to 2020 and kept it off, told her 916,000 TikTok followers last week. “Now, I run my own business helping hundreds of people do the exact same thing.”
Burn more calories than you eat
Experts agree that weight loss happens when you’re in a calorie deficit, meaning you’re expending more calories than you consume.
Clemens recommends using TDEE Calculator or a similar tool to measure how many calories you burn a day.
“If you want to [figure it out] on your own, track how you would normally eat for about a week to two weeks, take an average and then subtract 200 to 500 calories from that,” Clemens advised. “Once you have your calorie deficit goal, that is going to be the average of where you want your calories to fall as often as possible.”
Set a daily step goal
Walking 10,000daily steps — about 5 miles — has long been the exercise gold standard, but studies have shown that far fewer steps can be beneficial to health.
Clemens says everyone’s goal will be different.
“What you want to do is get an average of how many steps you’re normally getting in a day, and then shoot to increase from there,” she said. “So, if on average you’re getting 5,000 steps a day, shoot for 7,000, and try and hit that goal every single day.”
Reduce calories from beverages
Beverages, especially sodas and fruit juices, are an easy way to contribute calories, fat and sugar to your daily diet.
“They can add up very, very quickly,” Clemens noted. “Swap to zero sugar, something with a natural sugar alternative like stevia, and increase that water.”
Experts generally recommend consuming ½ an ounce to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day.
Artificially sweetened beverages, meanwhile, have earned themselves a checkered reputation over health claims. Research from 2023 suggests that they could increase the risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and even early death.
Find an exercise you love
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans says adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle strengthening a week.
Clemens says it’s important to embrace a workout that brings pleasure.
“Dedicate at least 30 minutes four times a week to working out in a way that brings you joy,” she explained. “That can be strength training, Pilates, at-home dance workouts, whatever kind of movement you’re going to be consistent with.”
Increase protein and fiber intake
“Step No. 5 is, I want you to increase your protein, and I want you to increase your fiber,” Clemens directed. “Protein at minimum, I would aim for at least 100 grams every single day, more if you can get it. For fiber, you’re going to aim for 25 grams minimum if you’re a woman, and 35 grams minimum if you’re a man.”
Protein takes longer to digest than other nutrients, so it can help you feel full for longer. It can also help maintain lean muscle mass — muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight — or 0.36 grams per pound. For a 200-pound person, that’s 72 grams of protein daily.
But weight-loss specialists on TikTok advise eating anywhere from 90 grams to 120 grams of protein daily.
For its part, fiber helps regulate bowel movements, control blood sugar and lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The American Heart Association recommends getting at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day, but most Americans only consume 15 daily grams.
