Don’t Rush the Weight
You’re Hot
I get it! The word Calorie makes many folks tune out almost immediately but before you leave give me a chance. A Calorie is nothing more than a unit of measure, just like a pound or tablespoon. It takes heat energy for us to burn a calorie. So for us to get rid of each calorie we take in we must produce enough heat to wipe one of those little suckers out. Just sitting around and the general heat our bodies produce we burn a certain number of calories. Fat doesn’t give us much help in creating that heat but muscle, that’s another story. Then you can add the heat energy it takes to run a mile. Pounding the track will help melt off a few more of our calorie intake.
Calories are just unfortunately the Law, the Law of Thermodynamics. When it comes to calories it’s simple addition and subtraction. You eat 2,000 of those little buggers and you’ll need to generate enough heat to wipe them out OR they’ll hangout like an unemployed family member. Oh, did I mention tomorrow the process starts all over again.
So where do we go from here?
There are no shortcuts! It doesn’t matter what diet you decide to follow (keto, low carb, THM, Mediterranean, etc.) it still comes down to Calories In/Calories Out. However, the quality of the food you use for those calories matter. If you eat a diet high in sugar and processed carbohydrates then many of your calories will be “Empty”, meaning the food has little nutritional value leaving you undernourished and hungry.
At some point you will need to figure out the calories your body needs to function during typical day. There are a certain number of calories your body burns to maintain its current weight, this is known as your maintenance calories. Here are links to two Calorie Calculators that will help you get a handle on your maintenance number. CALCULATOR ONE CALCULATOR TWO
I would check both but remember these are simply estimates, you’ll have to narrow them down by some trial and error to come up with your personal number.
With your maintenance calories in your back pocket progress is very close. To lose weight you’ll need to eat in a caloric deficit. I would recommend to start at a deficit no larger than about 15%. Also, I want to reiterate that your food choices matter. As you work on creating a Healthier Lifestyle you’re not going on a “Diet” you are making a Life Change which will work from the Inside Out. If you can be ON a Diet you can be OFF a Diet. So take it slow and lose a couple pounds a month without starving yourself. If you choose quality foods your insides will thank you and the scale will show the results of those changes.
My personal choice is a low carb lifestyle. I don’t believe all carbs are evil but if you look at the foods with the most empty calories they fall in the carb category. I’ve eliminated sugar from my diet, as well as most wheat products. I don’t have a gluten-allergy however, I feel many breads cause some inflammation in my joints. I don’t believe there’s any food out there I’m willing to sacrifice my quality of life.
The general breakdown of my daily caloric intake is 2,700 Calories (I eat at maintenance level.) My macros look like this…12% Carbs, 50% Fat, 35% Protein. Honestly, I track my Calories, Carbs and Protein fairly strict. I let my fat fall just about anywhere.
Please understand, my numbers aren’t for everyone, I’m simply giving you an example. I’m in the gym six days a week lifting weights and doing cardio. My attempt is to impress upon you the need for tracking calories once in awhile because guessing is not going to help you attain a Healthy eating standard.
If you’ve got any questions contact me via DM on Instagram at @lowcarbpops.
ALSO, I AM NOT A DOCTOR SO WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO UNDERTAKE TALK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN TO MAKE SURE HE/SHE IS ON BOARD.
Next Blog we’ll talk about how food choices affect what happens under the surface.
