We have heard so much about caloric intake when it comes to weight loss or weight gain, but does it really matter how much you eat or don't eat to accomplish your fitness goals. the answer is YES! Too many calories of the wrong thing will add on pounds, too little calories will stop your metabolism, and cause weight loss or human cannibalism, or weight gain. Sounds complicated??? Yes I'm sure it does, So I am going to share with you 5 ways to subtract calories the healthy way.
1. How ever you can, whenever you can. If nothing else, just get out of the chair more often. I hear people tell say, "I can't walk because of my weight"... okay, so what are you going to do about it... take baby steps towards losing the weight and that will help you loss the weight that's caused you not to be able to walk.
2. Cut the calories you won't miss. Your body is too smart not to notice huge energy decreases - cutting 500 to 1,000 daily calories, for example. But if you measure your food and create small decreases in portion sizes, you can eat less without feeling worse. It takes discipline to do this. Plan your meals ahead of time. Buy serving size zip-loc bags and measure your foods for the right portion sizes. This will help you control your caloric intake and will keep your body fueled through out the day.
3. Eat more protein and less of everything else. About 10 percent of the calories you burn each day come from the thermic effect of food. Protein has a much higher TEF than carbs or fat; as much as 25 percent of protein burns off during digestion. That compares to about 6 to 8 percent for carbs and 2 to 3 percent of fat. This is why you should limit your carb intake after 3:00 pm. Carbs provide energy therefore it makes more sense to fuel the body with carbs in the earlier part of the day than the latter part. Even if you're going to workout in the afternoon, let your fuel be a protein such as a protein shake or protein bar, then refuel it with a post workout drink.
4. Burn more calories during your workouts. You can do this via volume or intensity. If you have an iPhone you can download the Nike+ app which calculates your calories burned when you walk or run. You can also invest in a calorie counter watch. Most sporting stores have those in stock or you can always go on-line and order one. It's important to know how many calories you're burning so you'll know how much needs to be replaced.
5. Change your workouts every 30 days. Your muscles have memory and remembers every exercise you perform. After a while, the muscles get use to the routine and will not respond the same way. This is why you should change your routine to shock the muscles. It's interesting the muscles work just like humans, we get comfortable and stop challenging ourselves. so, change your workouts and challenge your muscles.
There you have it, 5 ways to burn calories whether losing or gaining weight. Calories does matter, just make sure you're getting in the right amount and the right kind.
Lisa D.
