Now, there’s even more reason to stop – and this time, to stop for good.  A recent infographic has shown up on the Internet showing the various organs in the human body that the ingredients of soda can negatively affect.  Some of these I already knew about.  Some of them are new.

Although it’s been claimed that this infographic is from “the insurance industry,” that’s not the case.  It’s from a site called TermInsurance.org, a domain which according to a WhoIs search,  is registered in the Grand Cayman Islands.  From what I could see, it looks like an affiliate site.  However, don’t let the apparent lack of authority of the website detract from the information on the infographic.  

The health problems listed on the infographic supposedly come from reputable sources and can include things like:

• Increased Tooth Decay
• Asthma Attack
• Heart Disease
• Kidney Disease
• Reproductive Issues
• Sugar Overload
• Obesity
• Diabetes

Check out the original article here, where you can get a larger image of the graphic that you can read and/or print out.

IDEA TIP: this would be a great graphic to print out and tape to your refrigerator door. If that doesn’t make you think twice about reaching for another soda, I don’t know what will!

The empty calories coming from the high amounts of high fructose corn syrup sending your insulin levels sky-high is reason enough to stop drinking — or at least significantly reduce — your soda consumption.  This infographic should convince you the rest of the way.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soda, coke, corn syrup, fructose, heart, disease, health, fitness, diet, nutrition, diabetes, obesity, calories, sugar, kidney

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Unfortunately, in many cases it isn’t and it isn’t long before some of the same people have packed it right back on again.  So what’s the problem?  Maybe it’s the fact that many people rely on exercise alone as a way to lose weight, and that’s a sure path to failure.

You can’t use exercise alone to lose weight.  Period.  Why not?  Well, think about it.  Exercise increases the amount of calories your body burns.  That’s good, right?  Yes but your body then seeks to compensate for that calorie loss by making you hungrier than you would otherwise be.  In other words, exercise increases your appetite making it much more likely that you’ll stop by the fast food drive-through on your way home from the gym.  You tell yourself, “After all, I worked hard, right?  I deserve a “reward” for working out.”

See how it works?  The more you workout, the more your appetite increases to compensate for the calories you burned.  The more your appetite increases, the harder it is to make good food choices and maintain portion control.  Also, the easier it is to feel like you “deserve” some dessert or an extra helping of your favorite food.  And boom, before you know it, you’ve not only erased all the good you did at the gym (from a weight-loss standpoint), but you’ve probably added calories to boot.  This is exactly why many people exercise all day long and don’t lose an ounce – and also why quite a few actually gain weight when they exercise.

So here’s the bottom line:  you don’t exercise to lose weight. You exercise to get fit.  You exercise to tone your muscles.  You exercise to increase stamina, build flexibility, and maintain coordination.  You exercise to maintain muscle strength.  You exercise to keep your heart and lungs healthy.  You exercise to reduce stress.  You exercise for a hundred-and-one really good and valid reasons — but sustainable weight-loss isn’t one of them.

Losing weight is about 2 things and 2 things only:

1. Eat less calories (ie: portion control)
2. Making better food choices.

That’s it.  There is no more.  That’s the whole “secret” to successful and sustained weight-loss.  It really doesn’t matter what diet program you’re on or are thinking of trying out:  Atkins, South Beach, Primitive, etc.  These diet programs provide all sorts of recipes that are designed to help you eat less total calories (number 1 on my list) as well as help you make better food choices (number 2 on my list).  That’s all they do.  And now that you know the “secret,” you can do it too without having to buy all the books and CD’s and whatever.

If you really want to lose weight, eat less – way less. Pay strict attention to portion control.  Don’t use the huge dinner plates that most people (and restaurants) use and start eating your meals on the smaller salad plates.  Get yourself a kitchen scale and find out what a “normal serving” of food looks like.  Hint:  A “normal” serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards and does NOT spill over the side of the plate like the chicken-fried steak special at the local steak house.

Which brings me to the second point, if you really want to lose weight, make better food choices. That means passing on the chicken-fried steak special covered in cream gravy and going with a grilled salmon instead.  Choose foods that not only contain less calories, but are also better for you.

So what have we learned here?  Well, first, if you’re exercising, don’t stop – just understand that it’s not really going to help you lose much weight.  Second, serious and sustainable weight-loss is all about eating less calories and making better food choices.

Once you start working on the right things, you’ll begin to see real progress!

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S. Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.” This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: exercise, weight-loss, diet, nutrition, calories, south beach,  Atkins, dieting, losing weight, fat

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Here’s one case in point.  I love Pillsbury’s Toaster Strudel, especially the ones with the cinnamon filling.  To me, there’s nothing better than starting off my day with a breakfast of 2 pieces of toaster strudel and a glass of cold milk.  After all, I just did an intense hour of a P90X workout (I usually exercise in the morning before breakfast).  Having something besides my usual protein shake can’t hurt, right?

Well, here’s the problem. My usual protein shake is only about 200 calories – and that includes the banana and strawberries I throw in. However, a quick look at the label on the strudel package rocked me back on my socks.  The first thing to notice is that the “Serving Size” for the nutritional information on the label is based on 1 pastry.  ONE pastry?  Who eats just ONE pastry?  So I knew I was trouble from the very start.

I normally have 2 pastries at a time.  At 190 calories EACH, that’s 2 X 190 or 380 calories.  Add in the calories from the glass of milk (2% milk) and you’ve got a grand total of 380 + 120 = 500 calories.  500 calories!  Yikes!

Although the high number of calories is bad enough, a second major problem is the TYPE of calories.  Notice in the label that 60 of the 190 calories – about 31% – come from FAT.  Ugh!  So out of the 500 total calories I had for breakfast, 120 of them are pure fat that I’m sure went straight to my midsection.

A third problem (this just keeps getting better and better) is the type of fat.  Again looking at the label, we see that more than half of the Total Fat is the WORST type of fat:  Saturated Fat and Trans Fat.  There are a total of 4 grams of saturated and trans fat.  Since there are 9 calories per gram of fat, that’s 9 x 4 or 36 calories of “bad” fat in EACH pastry.

And if you haven’t already sworn off Toaster Strudels, there’s more.  Last but not least, each pastry contains 5 mg of Cholesterol.  Although cholesterol is a natural part of many foods, a strudel is probably not the best source of it.

That’s why it’s so hard to lose weight.  The stuff you love to eat usually contains an abundance of extra calories that are very easy to lose track of.  However, it all eventually shows up around your midsection!

So what are my takeaways from this (besides “ditch the strudel”)?  Here are a couple:

1. Read the label FIRST. Always evaluate what you are ABOUT TO EAT, not what you just ate.
2. Be Aware of the Serving Size. Manufacturers will always try to down play the amount of calories in their products by reducing the serving size.  Don’t get fooled by this.  Do the math and then decide how much (or how little) you’ll have.
3. All Calories Count. If you’re trying to lose a couple of pounds, calories – ALL calories – count.  Make sure you don’t let extra calories sneak in just because you take a “pinch of this” or a “spoonful of that.”  There’s no such thing as “just one.”  It all adds up and it all counts.
4. Know the Content of Your Calories. It’s critical that you not only know the amount of calories you’re about to consume, but also the type of calories.  Are most of the calories made up of Protein?  Carbohydrates?  Fats?  If it’s listed first on the label, then that’s what makes up the majority of calories.
5. Be Aware of the Type of Fats and Carbs. You should also evaluate the type of fats and carbs you’re eating.  I shouldn’t have to tell you (or tell myself!) that saturated and trans fats should be at the absolute bottom of your list, not at the top.  Refined carbohydrates and sugar should low on your list as well.

The bottom line is that this breakfast “food” bombs out in all nutritional categories.  Little wonder that even after killing myself at the gym, when I step on the scale, my weight still hasn’t changed.

Losing weight is like playing detective.  You have to ferret out all the places that extra calories are sneaking into your diet and plug the holes.  You have to scrutinize every single calories to see what type it is and you have to decide whether eating it will support your goal or not.

It’s not as difficult as it sound but it does take awareness and effort.  As for me, the box of Toaster Strudel is now sitting at the bottom of my kitchen waste basket (small tear at the corner of my eye) and I’m back to my low-fat protein shakes in the morning.  I’m more determined than ever to control my weight.  How about you?

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Sorry.  There’s no such thing.  Let me say that again so you can stop your frantic searching — there is no secret way to losing weight.  All you have to do is eat less, way less as it turns out.

I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking, “But I already cut out eating bread with my meals” or “I already skip dessert and I STILL can’t lose weight.”  The problem is that you haven’t cut enough.

That lesson was brought home to me in an interesting way.  I’m reading a fascinating book titled, “Physics for Future Presidents: the Science Behind the Headlines,” by Richard A. Mueller.  In it, this Physics Professor takes much of the hype out of many of the issues that crowd today’s headlines.  In a very straightforward way, he tackles issues such as “dirty bombs,” terrorism, energy, climate change, and so on.

It was on his chapter on energy where he’s talking about how much energy a gallon of gasoline contains that I found, of all things, a comparison to the energy content of food.  Mueller states that “food is almost as good as gasoline” in terms of energy content.  He goes on to say that,

“If you find this high energy content implausible, watch a hummingbird.  It uses enormous energy to flap its wings just to sip a tiny amount of nectar.  Clearly the energy in the nectar must be more than enough to cover the work being done by those rapidly beatings wings that hold the bird in front of the flower.  It is.  Food is almost as good as gasoline.”

Because food has such a high energy content, it actually takes very little of it to completely nourish our bodies and fuel our daily activities.   The problem is that we’re typically greatly overloading our bodies with way more food than what we actually need.  Professor Mueller goes on to say that,

“On the downside, the enormous energy content of food is what makes it so difficult to lose weight without serious dieting.  One 12-ounce can of soda contains, typically, 150 food calories.  A person can work that off with a half hour of vigorous exercise (running, not jogging; basketball, not baseball; swimming, not golf), provide, of course, that he doesn’t reward himself with a can of soda.  The best way to lose weight is to eat less, not to exercise more.“

Make sure you pay particular attention to that last line:  “the best way to lose weight is to eat less, not to exercise more.”  It’s simple physics.  To eliminate 150 calories from your diet, you can do half an hour of hard exercise, or you can simply pass on the soda and drink water instead.

Now, to be clear, note that he didn’t say that you didn’t have to exercise at all or that exercise isn’t important or that it doesn’t help you lose weight.  He didn’t say any of these things.  All he said is that from a physics standpoint, it’s easier to lose weight by eating less than by exercising more simply because food has such a high energy content.

So let me summarize:

1. If you want to lose weight, eat less – way less. Although when you first start a diet it feels like you’re dying, your body will actually adjust after a couple of days.  Your stomach will get smaller so that small portions will be more filling and your digestive system will get more efficient since you’re not constantly overloading it anymore.  If you can make it past the first week, it really does get easier.
2. Yes, I did say “eat way less.” Just making token cuts like skipping the bread or desert isn’t enough.  Not eating bread reduces your total calorie count by what, maybe 250 calories?  Big deal.  That’s not nearly enough.  You need to cut your total caloric intake by 1/2 to 2/3.  No, this is not a typo.  Cut your meals by one half to two thirds of what you’re eating now.  Unless you make really radical changes to your diet, your body simply adjusts to not having bread or not having dessert and you end up weighing the same.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  radical changes to your diet does put a strain on your body at first so make sure you’re in good health to begin with and that you’ve discussed your plans with a healthcare provider.
3. Exercise is still important. Physical exercise still plays an important part in your weight-loss plans.  You still have to keep your metabolism rate at a high level, you still need to keep your muscles toned, and you still have to encourage your body to burn fat instead of muscle.  Exercise does all these things so it’s critical that you work in as much as you can.

How have I used this information?  Well, here’s the diet that I try to follow (notice I said “try” because honestly, I do occasionally cheat).  I try to follow the “reduced calorie” routine for as many days as I can during the week.  It doesn’t always work out that way but I try to follow it as many days as I can.  On weekends, I eat whatever I want but obviously try to keep from undoing all my progress.

My “Reduced Calorie” Diet

Breakfast:  One 8-oz Protein Shake (I use Syntha-6) with one small banana or 2-3 strawberries mixed in.  Calories:  about 150

Lunch:  One cup (about 8-oz) of soup.  I love Campbell’s Chunky Healthy Request (not the “condensed”) soups, especially the Beef Barley.  Keep in mind that most cans of soup contain 2 portions so make sure to read the label!  Calories: about 150

Dinner:  Another protein shake.  Calories:  about 150

So during the week, I try to get by on around 500 calories per day (more or less).  Am I always successful?  Of course not.  I occasionally throw in a snack in between lunch and dinner that probably adds another 100-150 calories.  The key is to make sure that your “snack” is a wise choice like a piece of fruit, some nuts, or a granola bar.  It’s critical that you stay away from sugary “empty” calories.

Again, this diet is not for everyone – and not everyone will be able to stay on it for long.  Make sure you are in good health before starting ANY diet (or exercise) plan and discuss your plans with your doctor or healthcare provider.  That being said, use your head and take things slow and easy at first.  Like I said earlier, it does get easier once you get past the first week.

Now 500-600 calories per day isn’t much, but then, I’m a little guy (5′ 10″) so don’t take the actual number of calories as gospel.  Simply take what your normal diet is and try to get buy on half.  Do that as many times as you can during the week.  If that means you do it every other day, that’s fine.  If you can only do it on Wednesdays, that’s a good start.  The point is to start.  Once you do, you’ll find that adding an additional day gets easier and before you know it, you’ll be getting by on much less food.

Make sure you keep up your exercise routine.  In fact, when you start getting hungry, go out for a brisk walk instead of reaching for the chips.  Drinking lots of water will also help to keep your stomach from grumbling.

So to sum up, “token” dieting doesn’t work since your body simply adapts to the slight changes in food intake.  The end result is that you end up weighing exactly the same.  To lose weight, you’ve got to make a radical reduction in the amount of food you eat – on the order of 1/2 to 2/3 of what you’re eating now.  Drink plenty of water, get plenty of exercise, and above all, use common sense and check with your doctor along the way.  I think you’ll be pleased with the results you start getting.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: diet, weight-loss, nutrition, balanced health, fitness, muscle, protein, weight, calories

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Mistake Number 3:  Bad Form

One of the biggest and most frequent mistakes I see in the gym is to use bad form when performing an exercise.  Bad form at its worst can lead to strains, sprains, or even more serious and sometimes permanent, injuries.  At its least, it renders your exercise ineffective.

Some of the more common examples of bad form usually fall into two categories:  (1) doing the wrong exercise and (2), doing the exercise wrong.

Doing the Wrong Exercise

Some people simply should not be doing certain types of exercises.  An exercise routine should be matched to a person’s existing condition, their physical body type, and their size and weight.   Some people just don’t have the physical range of motion or the muscle structure to benefit from certain types of exercises.

Others may be too big, too short, or too heavy to make proper use of the exercise machines, despite the fact that most machines can be adjusted within a wide range of settings.

I’ll give you a personal example.  Years ago, I carried quite a bit more weight in my midsection resulting in a bit of a “beer belly” (even though I don’t drink beer).  What did I do?  Why run to the gym and jump on the LifeCycle (a stationary bike).  I cycled for about an hour before going home feeling pretty good about all the calories I had burned.  The next day I could hardly walk.

What happened?  Well, I was pretty overweight and most of that weight was in my midsection.  As soon as I got on the bike and leaned forward to grab the handlebars, all that weight kind of sagged down between my thighs.  In fact, the only way to make room for my sagging belly was to push my knees out to the side — out of alignment, in other words.  After an hour of cycling, my knee joints had taken a beating.  It’s a wonder they weren’t damaged seriously.

In another case, I saw an instructor put a brand new student, who also smoked, through a pretty intense cardio routine.  The new student almost passed out before puking their guts out.  The instructor should have modified the routine to better fit the current condition of the new student (who was never seen again, by the way) instead of trying to “force-fit” the student into a cookie-cutter routine.

The point is that there are some exercises, and some exercise machines, that certain types of people shouldn’t be doing.  Make sure that your exercise routine is matched to your current physical condition and your body type as well as your height and current weight.

Doing the Exercise Wrong

Most cases of bad form are, by far, people doing an exercise incorrectly.  It should be obvious that doing the exercise wrong can lead to physical injury.  Not so obvious is that most of your efforts are ineffectual, and that’s a real shame.  You only have so much time to get to the gym so why would waste time and energy going through motions that don’t actually work your muscles correctly?

Performing an exercise incorrectly usually include the following:

• Poor or Improper Alignment. In most exercises, especially those involving weights, the large muscles of the body are designed to move in more-or-less straight lines.  This is what aligns the entire muscle against the load it’s trying to move.  Using bad form or alignment subjects a section of the muscle to an uneven amount of force increasing the chances that the muscle will strain or tear at that point.  Before you lift any kind of weight, do a quick mental check to make sure every part of your body is lined up properly.
• Using Too Much Weight. This is more of a “guy thing.”  Trying to lift too much weight before your body is conditioned for it can put more force on muscles and joints than they’re capable of handling.  Using too much weight also leads to the last item.
• Lack of Controlled Movement. If you’re trying to lift too much weight, you’re not going to be able to control the movement of your muscles through the full range of the exercise.  As a result, one of two things will happen:  you’ll either “sling the weight” using momentum instead of your muscles to press or push the weights ups, or you’ll shorten your movement by not extending all the way and thereby fail to execute a full rep.  In both cases, you’re not working your muscles completely or effectively.

In all cases, if any exercise or exercise movement doesn’t feel comfortable, by all means stop doing it and get some help.  Most gyms have trainers on staff that will be happy to show you how to use an exercise machine properly or that can help design an effective exercise routine.  Telling them where it hurts or what feels uncomfortable will usually help them come up with modifications to the exercise or adjustments to the machine that you can make in order to better accommodate your specific condition or body type.

Get the most out of your time at the gym by making sure that you’re using good form – doing the right exercise and doing the exercise right.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: form, weight lifting, weight machines, alignment, biomechanics, posture, muscle strain, injury, exercise, fitness

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In fact, do a quick search on the Internet and you’ll see a lot of people (including myself) recommending eating 5 to 6 meals per day.  What gives?  How does increasing the number of meals you eat result in weight LOSS?  Won’t eating more often increase your caloric intake and result in weight GAIN?

What do you think? …

First, Let’s Define a “Meal”

Before we go any further, it’s critical that we define exactly what is meant by a “meal.”  When nutrition experts say eat 5 to 6 “meals” per day, we don’t mean the mega-sized, 1500-calorie-all-you-can-stuff-yourself-with type of meal that most of us have 2 to 3 times a day.

Take a look at the picture that’s part of this post.  THAT’s what we mean when we talk about a “meal.”  Each meal should be around 200-300 calories.  That’s it.  Your mid-morning meal can be as simple as an apple in between breakfast and lunch.  It can be a celery stick with a little peanut butter in between lunch and dinner.  A piece of fruit, a cup of cottage cheese or a couple of whole wheat crackers with peanut butter are other examples.

The idea is not to eat more food during the day, but to eat the same amount of food (or actually less) spread out over 5 to 6 meals instead of 2 or 3 times a day.

Why This Works

Here’s why eating more frequently actually works.  If you eat breakfast around 6:30 am or so and lunch around noon, that’s around 5 hours between meals.  Since most food takes between 2 to 4 hours to be digested and leave your stomach (depending on the type of food), that’s way too long to go without eating.

The reason is that after your body finishes digesting your breakfast, your blood sugar levels (your glucose levels) begin to drop significantly and around 10:00 am or so (2 to 4 hours later), you’re going to start feeling really hungry.  By the time it’s time for lunch, you’re STARVING!  We all know what happens next – you’re so hungry that you order one of everything on the menu – with extra butter and gravy!  Your blood sugar levels are so low and your body is craving so much food that you tend to overeat in response.  You then feel sluggish and sleepy the rest of the afternoon.  Sound familiar?

On the other hand, if you have a small meal – say an apple – around 10:00 or so, it will kick your blood sugar back up and you won’t feel so hungry.  That way when lunch rolls around, you’re much more likely to be satisfied with the soup-and-salad combo instead of the chicken-fried-steak-with-potatoes-and-extra-gravy.

Eating a small meal every 3 hours or so helps keep your blood sugar levels more or less constant.  That means you won’t go from “I’m starving” to “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” and back again every couple of hours.  This puts YOU back in control enabling you to make better food choices instead of simply responding to your body screaming “FEED ME!!”

Maintain your blood sugar levels at a more or less consistent level by eating more frequently and you’ll control your appetite.  Control your appetite and you’ll actually be satisfied or feel “full” with less food, especially if you make healthier food choices.  Consume less food during the day and you’ll lose weight.  It’s that simple.

Remember, Total Calories are Still Total Calories

Once again, I’m not suggesting that you eat full, regular meals 6 times a day.  Remember that weight loss is still a matter of reducing the total number of calories that you consume in a day.  Eating more frequently will not increase your total number of calories as long as you keep the meals small.  I know I already said that but it’s important.  No matter what you do, weight loss is still the difference between calories in and calories out.

Putting it All Together

So let me summarize with the following points:

1. Prevent your body from going into “starvation mode” by eating something every 3 hours or so.  This equates to around 5 to 6 times per day.
2. Slightly reduce the size of your normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner and insert smaller, 200-300 calorie “meals” in between your regular meals.  So you’ll basically eat breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid afternoon snack, dinner, and then maybe an evening snack 2-3 hours before going to bed.
3. Remember that the idea is not to eat more food, but just to eat more frequently.  In order to lose weight, you still have to reduce the total number of calories you eat during the day.
4. Make better food choices.  Have a piece of fruit instead of a glazed donut, for example.  Remember that refined carbohydrates (like the donut) will actually cause your blood sugar to spike – followed by a crash about an hour later that leaves you starved again.  Instead, choose whole foods, not processed ones.  Whole foods, especially those with fiber (like fruit) take longer to digest meaning that you’ll feel “full” longer.
5. In addition to reducing the number of calories you eat, you can speed the weight loss process by increasing the number of calories you burn during the day.  Take a walk during lunch or take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Find ways to become more active more throughout the day.
6. Listen to your body and do what works for you.  If you normally feel starved just before lunch, then just add a mid-morning snack.  If you don’t normally feel starved before dinner, that’s OK.  Notice what your body is telling you and make the changes that are right for you.

Although it’s counter intuitive, eating more frequently (about every 3 hours or so) actually allows your body to be satisfied with less food overall.  Give it try and see for yourself!

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach (NESTA)

Technorati Tags: blood sugar level, glucose level, Caloric Intake, calories, Dietitian, Health Problems, Lose Weight, Nutrition Experts, weight loss, fitness, diet, meal frequency

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Still struggling to lose weight?  Have you tried one diet after another with little or no results?  Or worse, have you gained back more that what you lost on your last diet?  Losing weight shouldn’t be this hard!

Well, in truth, it’s not.  Losing weight is pretty simple.  Here’s what I recently learned becoming certified as a Fitness Nutrition Coach.

I recently completed the material for the NESTA Fitness Nutrition Coach certification.  They did a really good job of explaining how the body uses various nutrients.  Here’s some of what I learned about losing weight.

First, your current weight is an indication of your body’s energy balance.  If you burn off (energy going out) the same number of calories that you consume via eating (energy coming in), then your weight won’t change because the number of calories going out is exactly the same as the number of calories coming in.

However, if you eat more calories than you burn off (energy coming in > energy going out), then you’ll gain weight because you’re putting more calories into your body than the body can use.  It will simply store the extra calories as fat.

Conversely, if you burn more calories than you consume (energy coming < energy going out), then you’ll lose weight.  In this case, the body needs more calories than you’re giving it through eating so it uses some of the calories stored in fat to make up the difference.

Pretty straightforward, I know.  But how exactly do you apply this in a way that you can stick with on a day-to-day basis?  How do you put that into easy-to-follow steps?  Here’s where I figured out what the A-B-C’s of weight loss actually were.

A – Reduce Your Total Calories

OK, you should have seen that one coming.  But the first question I had was, “What exactly does that mean in terms of my daily eating habits?”  Are we just talking about dieting?

Well, yes and no.  Dieting is part of the answer, but not all of it.  Here’s why dieting alone usually doesn’t work.  Most experts agree that for permanent weight loss, your goal should be to lose 1-2 pounds per week.  If you’re losing any more than that, it’s probably water weight, not fat loss – which means it will eventually come back.

So let’s do a little math and see exactly how many calories 1-2 pounds translates into.  One pound equals approximately 3500 calories.  Therefore, if you want to lose 2 pounds in a week, you would have to reduce your total caloric intake for the week by 7000 calories (2 lbs x 3500 cal/lb = 7000 cal).

So what’s that on a daily basis?  Well, we need a reduction of 7000 calories per week and there’s 7 days in a week so dividing one by the other gives 1000 calories per day.  You would have to eat 1000 fewer calories each and every day.

Holy Smokes!  One Thousand Less Calories!  That’s huge!  If you’re eating around 2000 calories per day, then eating 1000 fewer calories means cutting your meals in half! Could you do that?  I know I can’t – at least not for more than a day or two.  This is exactly why most people who try to lose weight by dieting alone rarely find success. It’s just too high a hurdle to clear each and every day.

So what’s a more balanced approach?  One approach that will increase your chances of success is to combine dieting (reducing the total number of calories you consume) with some type of exercise (increase the total number of calories you burn off).  That’s the next step.

B – Increase Your Activity Level

Instead of trying to reduce your daily calorie intake by 1000 calories through dieting alone, it makes much more sense to combine dieting with exercise.  Here’s how it would work.

Remember our energy balance equation?  Energy coming in (via food) must be less than energy going out (through activity level) in order for us to lose weight.  There are 3 ways to accomplish this:

1. Through Dieting Alone. In other words, reduce the amount of food coming in and keep your activity level the same.  However, we’ve already discussed how difficult this is to maintain over the long term so this is not really a good option.
2. Through Exercise Alone. You can keep the amount of food constant and increase your activity level.  But you still  have to create a deficit of 1000 calories per day and if you’re not going to do it through dieting, that means you’ll have to burn it off.  There’s just one problem.  Do you realize how much exercise you have to do in order to burn off 1000 calories?  That’s about a 90 minute, non-stop cardio session.  And remember, you have do this each and every day.  Again, not something most people can stick with on a daily basis.
3. Using Both Dieting and Exercise. This is the balanced choice.  Instead of trying to loose (or burn) 1000 calories using one method alone, try losing half that amount (500 calories) with each method.  Seek to reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories – that’s about a 20-25% reduction in meal size.  I can probably do that just by cutting out snacks and soft drinks.  Second, seek to burn off an additional 500 calories by increasing your activity level through exercise.  I can probably burn off 500 calories in a 30-45 min cardio class with no problem.  Now you’ve got a weight reduction plan that’s doable, and one you can stick to.

C – Make better food choices

The last step is to make better food choices on the calories you do consume.  Choose foods that are nutrient rich, instead of energy rich.  For example, a Twinkie® and a large apple both have approximately the same number of calories (about 120).  Although the Twinkie provides a short-term “energy-rush,” the apple provides a number of nutrients (like fiber) that are missing from the Twinkie.  So make sure that the calories you do consume are from whole foods instead of processed ones.

So that’s the “secret” to weight loss:  reduce your total calories, increase your activity level, and make better food choices.  What turned on the lights for me was realizing that if you utilize all three steps in your weight loss plan, your chances of success go way up!

Give it shot.  I think you’ll not only find this kind of weight loss program easier to stick with, but you’ll also begin to get the permanent results you’re looking for.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: Body Balance, calories, diet, Dieting, Eating Habits, Energy Balance, Fitness Nutrition, Gain Weight, Lose Weight, Losing Weight, Nutrients, Nutrition Coach, weight loss

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Those days are long gone.  Drive past any restaurant, even the really bad ones, and you’ll find a parking lot full of cars along with a waiting line at the front desk.  It’s the same story even on school nights!

With most of us struggling to juggle work and family responsibilities, stopping for dinner at a restaurant on the way home is a welcome convenience.  Unfortunately, a steady diet of restaurant food is probably not the healthiest choice you can make.

Here are some healthy tips to keep in mind the next time you’re eating out:

1.  Do some research before you arrive at the restaurant. Do you know what a “normal serving” is?  Do you know the difference in calories and fats between grilling, broiling, and braising?  There are a lot of websites that list the nutritional values of the main dishes of most popular restaurants.  Do a little research so you’ll know which dishes are relatively healthy, and which are gut-busters.

2.  Don’t let what others order influence your food choice. I do it too.  Every time I hear what someone else is ordering, I think, “Ooo, that sounds good.”  If all you originally wanted was a soup and salad, don’t be tempted by whatever anyone else orders.

3.  “Have It Your Way.” Make sure to get your food prepared that way you want it prepared.  Don’t be shy about asking that your food be cooked without butter, salt, or anything else you’re trying to cut down on.  If you get a salad, ALWAYS ask for the dressing on the side.

4.  Split an entre with a friend or make a meal out of appetizers. The portions served in most restaurants are huge.  Sharing with a friend means that you don’t overeat.  Feel funny about ordering one entre and asking for an extra plate?  See tip # 3 above.

5.  Ask that a To-Go box be brought when they deliver your meal. Before taking your first bite, put half of the meal in the to-go box for lunch tomorrow.  I’ve made this recommendation in previous posts and it works.

People eating out more and more frequently has been identified as one of the causes of America’s obesity epidemic.  However, our modern lifestyle makes the traditional, home-cooked, sit-down dinner less and less likely.  Eating at restaurants has become part of our culture.  These tips should help you enjoy the experience of eating out without sacrificing your health in the process.

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: nutrition, health, restaurants, eating out, calories, balanced health, tips, food

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A 2007 study performed at Louisiana State University and published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that there was essentially no difference in the amount of weight loss between two groups of subjects, one group that had dieted only, and one that had both dieted and exercised. Both groups lost about the same amount of weight at the end of the study. So what’s the bottom line? According to lead author Dr. Eric Ravussin, “It’s all about the calories.”

The Nitty-Gritty Details

The first group reduced their caloric intake through dieting alone, cutting their food intake by 25%. This should be pretty straightforward. If you reduce the amount of food you eat by 25%, the total number of calories your body has available also falls by 25%. At the end of the 6-month study, the members of this group lost about 10% of their starting body weight.

The second group cut their caloric intake through a combination of dieting and exercise. First, they reduced the amount of food they ate by 12.5%. At the same time, they increased the amount of calories they normally burn by 12.5% through exercise. When you add the effects of the diet (12.5% reduction in food) and exercise (12.5% increase in metabolism), you end up with the same 25% reduction in total calories as the first group. The members of this group also lost about 10% of their starting body weight.

Since the amount of total calories for both groups was reduced by the same amount, they lost the same amount of weight. Big shock, right? Well, here are some of the less-than-obvious points that you can use in your fitness plan.

What This Means

What this study shows is that there is only one way to loose weight: you have to reduce the total number of calories that your body needs to maintain it’s current state, creating what Dr. Ravussin calls an “energy deficit.” There are two ways to do this:

1. You can reduce the amount of caloric intake. In other words, dieting. Reduce the amount of food and drink calories that you take into your body.
2. You can increase the amount of calories expended. You do this by raising your metabolism. Although there are several ways to do this, exercise is typically the best since it provides other benefits, such as aerobic fitness, at the same time.

The study also found that both groups lost weight in the same areas. According to Dr. Ravussin, “So long as the energy deficit is the same, body weight, fat weight, and abdominal fat will all decrease the same way.” This tends to debunk the idea that you can “spot reduce” abdominal fat.

Since the distribution of the weight loss was the same for both groups, the study also put a big hole in the idea that dieting alone causes you to lose muscle mass. The researchers found no evidence of this.

Why Not Do Both?

Why didn’t Group 2 reduce their food intake by 25% like Group 1 did, AND then exercise? Well, they obviously wouldn’t have been able to compare the two groups if they did that. But there’s another factor you have to take into consideration: your appetite increases when you exercise. This makes it all the more difficult to stick to your diet.

However, doing both is a very effective way to lose weight as long as you balance the two.

The Balanced Way

So how can you use this information in a healthy and balanced way? Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re designing your weight-loss program:

1. If you choose to diet, you’ll be eating less so make sure that your food choices are nutritional.
2. If you choose to exercise, be aware that the more you exercise, the more your appetite will increase. It’s your body’s way of trying to compensate for the increased expenditure of calories. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that just because you’re working out, you can eat whatever you want. It’s way too easy to burn 100 calories through exercise and then gain it all back and then some by eating a 200 calorie hamburger. Remember, it’s all about total calories.
3. For my money, I’d recommend a plan that incorporates both diet and exercise. However, keep in mind that what you eat has the largest impact on total calories. It takes a lot of effort to burn 100 calories during a workout session but you can reduce your caloric intake by 100 calories (or more) by simply drinking water at lunch instead of your usual Big Gulp.
4. Stay away from diet pills, teas, supplements and other items that contain ephedra, including such natural remedies as Chinese ma huang or “Mormon tea.” All of these claim to raise your metabolism so you can “loose weight while you sleep” or something similar. There are documented health risks with these so don’t use them.
5. Don’t fall victim to diet or fitness plans that claim to “spot reduce” areas. You’ll lose weight the way your body is genetically programed to do so.
6. Don’t try to lose a lot of weight too quickly. The participants in this study lost 10% of their body weight over a 6 month period. If you lose weight too quickly, you’ll simply gain it all back with a couple of extra pounds thrown in.

Remember, in order to lose weight, reduce total calories. Keep this basic fact in mind when you’re designing your weight-loss plan.

Hiram

The Balance Health Guy

Technorati Tags: diet, nutrition, weight loss, exercise, muscle, fat, balanced health, calories, metabolism

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