Many people I have worked with do not understand why they
are failing to lose weight. After all, they are working out. Maybe even a lot.
And they are frustrated because they are not getting the results they expect.
If part of your fitness goal is to lose weight, it can be
difficult to accomplish that through exercise alone, depending on what you eat.
Mathematically, it is not all
that complicated.
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| Suggested Relative Portion Ratios of Nutrient Groups - MyPlate.gov |
...it’s the combination of exercise coupled with
disciplined fuel consumption that REALLY provides the big results.
Studies show that people, as a rule, underestimate how many
calories they consume, and overestimate their exercise duration, intensity,
and/or frequency. While exercise will help you burn calories while engaged in
the activity and improve your metabolism so that you burn more calories even
when you are not exercising – it’s the combination of exercise coupled with
disciplined fuel consumption that REALLY provides the big results.
Let me use myself as an example: I teach a Spin Bike class,
which is one of the best aerobic exercises available. During a 45-minute
intense workout, I burn approximately 500 calories. If I follow that up with a
“reward” of a gourmet burger – say a guacamole bacon burger registering in at
1,070 calories, medium French fries at about 450 calories, and a carbonated
sugar beverage at 250 calories, I would have consumed 1,770 calories of my 2500
calorie target – leaving me with 730 for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dessert, and
other beverages.
Please understand, I’m not a fanatic
about counting
calories.
Please understand, I’m not a fanatic about counting
calories. On the other hand, I have a pretty good grasp of what food contains
nutritionally and calorically, and I get the concept of the math. It’s just a
fact that it takes 3,500 calories of unburned fuel to add a pound to your
weight. And if I want to take a pound off, that requires I burn 3,500 calories
beyond what I consume.
As you probably know, food is made of nutrients that include
carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. YOUR BODY NEEDS ALL OF THESE. Not too long
ago, fad diets advocated avoiding carbohydrates. Bad idea; carbs are the
primary fuel your body craves. A lot of athletes dramatically over consume
protein. Protein is absolutely essential for your body. However, if a person
consumes more protein than his or her body can utilize, guess how that protein
gets stored? It gets converted to fat. Fats, or lipids, are also essential to
the body. The good new is, they are easily found in foods – even in sources you
don’t suspect, such as seeds. The bad
news is, many foods provide a fat overload that goes far beyond what the body
needs, and that also gets stored. One key thing to remember is that our body is
very efficient at holding onto excess fuel; it’s programmed to store it for
you, just in case you plan on hibernating or something. And how does it store
the excess you haven’t burned – whether it is in the initial form of
carbohydrate, protein, or fat? Our storage system is fat, so even carbs and
protein are converted to that form.
If you are attracted to some diet that advises you to avoid
carbohydrates, protein, or fat – BEWARE!
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| Carbohydrates |
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| Unsaturated Fats |
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| Protein |
I do NOT deprive myself of my favorite foods.
For me, I do NOT deprive myself of my favorite foods. That
leads to roller coaster rides of weight loss followed by weight gain. I need to
practice portion control. I still eat pizza once in awhile, but 2 pieces
instead of 4 (or more). Ice cream is enjoyed in a smaller bowler – it still
looks full. A half sandwich, along with fruit and vegetables, satisfies me
completely; I don’t actually need the whole sandwich. Like most people who were
raised by Depression Era parents, I was taught to “clean my plate” – meaning
eat everything served – no waste. Consequently, I will obediently (and
enjoyably) eat everything you put before me. Put 8 pancakes on my plate, and
somehow, I’ll get those babies down. My point? I have to prepare the amount
that is appropriate to eat, because if I follow a recipe that yields 6 servings
in preparation for my wife and me, chances are good there won’t be much in the
way of leftovers.
Finally, visit MyPlate.gov. You can use the “SuperTracker”
to plug in several days of what you normally eat and run an analysis that
provides you with really interesting information. Not only will you discover
your caloric intake, a breakdown of what nutrient groups your meeting or
deficient in, but the analysis will even let you know whether you are meeting
your requirements for vitamins and minerals. It’s really a very cool and
helpful online tool and very user friendly.
