How to Lose Weight By Using a Weigh-In Sheet

There's no real secret to losing weight. In order to shed pounds you have to reduce calories -- typically by exercising and cutting down on the amount you eat. While it's really quite simple, it does help to set goals and monitor your progress so you know when you're on the right track. One way to keep track of how you're doing is to use a "weigh-in sheet" that records how much you weighed at a certain point in time. To get even more benefit out of that process, use your weigh-in sheet to track a few more factors that contribute to your success.

Things You'll Need

  • Spreadsheet software
  • Scale
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Instructions

    • 1

      Create a spreadsheet document that will function as your weigh-in sheet, as well as the document that tracks your daily progress. Along the right hand rows of the spreadsheet, type the days of the week. For example, you would type "January 1," in the first row, and then "January 2" below that, "January 3" below that and so on. Along the top of the spreadsheet, create column headings that include "Exercise Type," "Exercise Duration," "Calories Burned," "Caloric Intake," "Notes" and "Weight." Print the sheet or keep it as a fillable electronic document so you can fill in the appropriate information as you go along.

    • 2

      Set a goal to exercise five or six days a week, aiming to burn at least 250 calories during each exercise session. The number of calories you burn each session will depend on the duration and intensity of the exercise. For example, 200-pound person can burn about 250 calories by walking for one hour, jumping rope for 15 minutes or doing low-impact aerobics for 30 minutes, advises MayoClinic.com.

    • 3

      Set a goal to cut about 250 calories from your daily intake by cutting out high-calorie foods, sugary snacks, junk food, alcohol, sodas or other non-nutritious foods and drinks. Replace those items with fruits, vegetables, lean protein and complex carbohydrates. In order to lose 1 pound, you have to create a 3,500-calorie deficit, ideally by burning calories through exercise and cutting calories in the foods you eat. According to MayoClinic.com, a healthy, sustainable amount of weight loss is about 1 to 2 pounds per week. By cutting 500 calories through diet and exercise, you'll be on track to lose about 1 pound per week.

    • 4

      Weigh yourself at the start of your weight-loss journey and write the number in the "Weight" column of your spreadsheet. While you could weigh yourself every day and write the number on your spreadsheet, you might find yourself getting discouraged by the small amount of progress you see each day. Instead, weigh yourself only once a week on the same day of the week.

    • 5

      Fill out the other columns on your spreadsheet on a daily basis. In the "Exercise Type" category, write down the exercise you did that day, such as walking, jogging or ballroom dancing. In the "Exercise Duration" category, write how long you exercised that day. In the "Calories Burned" category, write down the estimated number of calories you burned. Use an online calorie calculator, such as the American Council on Exercise's "Calculate Your Calories Burned" page to estimate your calorie burn. Read the labels on your food and use an online "Calories in Food" calculator to track and write the calories you consumed in a given day in the "Caloric Intake" column. In the "Notes" column, write down anything noteworthy about the day, such as how you were feeling or who you exercised with.

    • 6

      Take stock of the information on the sheet on a weekly basis and make adjustments as necessary. For example, you might find that exercising for just 30 minutes a day was not enough to help you meet your goal of losing 1 pound a week. You might then increase your time by 10 minutes and see if that helps you lose more weight.