Today’s Repowering information – This article is by Tom Venuto. . It explains why I also recommend you have a protein at EVERY meal and watch your portion sizes as well as create a small caloric deficit each day. This is a Q&A from Tom’s Newsletter about cutting carbs for weight loss.
QUESTION: Tom, I've been reading your stuff for years and I also read a lot of other sites and message boards including some of the low carb boards. I have finally come to the conclusion, both from all my reading and my personal experience, that the idea that one will lose weight just by cutting carbs is a myth.
And I welcome anyone who thinks they can to go ahead and try to prove me wrong. I'm not looking for a fight of course, just looking for good information and discussion.
Consider the following two situations; each involves an identical male who requires 3,000 calories/day to maintain his current weight.
SITUATION #1: The individual reduces his calories to 2,500/day, which theoretically will result in losing one pound/week. The individual divides his calories so 60% (1500) come from Carbs and the remainder come from Fat and Protein. Will he lose weight even though he's eating a lot of Carbs? I believe the answer is YES because even though the carbs are high (60%), he is in a calorie deficit.
SITUATION #2 The individual adopts a Low Carb Diet by eating only 25 grams of Carbs daily (100 calories). He then eats an additional 2900 calories of Fat and Protein. Will he lose weight?
I believe the answer is NO because even though the carbs are low, he is eating at his maintenance level.
Now, I understand that there are advantages to controlling insulin and reducing Carbs, including some health benefits for some people, but what I often don't see on the low carb benefit list is the impact that fat has on controlling appetite.
I believe that Fat satiates even the largest appetite, causing you to eat less.
Therefore, I believe that the reason a Low Carb Diet works is because people who follow it eat fewer calories.
I would love to get your feedback on this Tom and if you or any of your newsletter or blog readers have any studies or information proving me wrong, please let me know.
Thank you
John in Texas
PS. I realize I'm not the first to question a Low Carb diet, so my apologies if this has been discussed in your newsletters before.
ANSWER:
Thanks for your well-thought out question John. Yes, we've
discussed this before, but it's timely and worth discussing
again, especially with some of the long-term research that
was just published earlier this year.
You are preaching to the choir though, my friend. You are
right, fat loss hinges on calories in versus calories out.
BUT -- and there is a big BUT -- we really need to make some
distinctions about low carb and high protein so we don't
throw out the baby with the bathwater. Low carb has some
advantages. More importantly, so does high protein.
Heres where most of the confusion comes from in this whole
low carb thing:
Are we talking about low carb in a free-living / ad-libitum
(non calorie counting) situation, or are we talking about a
laboratory-controlled study or a strict calorie-counting
situation?
This makes all the difference because in a free-living,
situation, low carb almost always beats high carb for
weight loss, especially in the early weeks and months on
the program.
This can be partly explained by water weight and glycogen
loss in the initial weeks, but also by actual greater fat
loss during the early stages.
However, this is not because of "metabolic advantage" of
low carbs over high carbs, it is because subjects in these
types of studies ate less in the low carb group.
In other words, low carb diets usually control appetite
better, when calories are not counted,... i.e. you get
automatic calorie control.
So you are correct in your conclusion.
Furthermore, it's difficult to eat too much when you remove
an entire group of calorie dense foods (sugars and starches)
which are a food group responsible for providing a huge
portion of the calories in most people's diets.
Sure, you can overeat on dietary fat as well, at least
in a mixed diet, but apparently not easily in the absence
of carbs.
Now, heres the kicker...
As soon as you start controlling calories.. I mean hospital
ward or research facility controlled, where the subjects
cannot pick and choose their own food, and instead, the food
is weighed and measured and almost literally spoon fed to
the subjects, the difference in weight loss between low
carb and high carb shrinks or even vanishes.
In other words, when calories are matched, there is little
or no difference in fat loss between a high carb and low carb
diet, when dietary fats and carbs are the variables manipulated.
In the long term studies, even more valuable data has emerged...
The big study by the New England Journal of Medicine that got all
that publicity earlier this year confirmed it once again...
Even though low carb diets work better in the short term for
weight loss in free living subjects, the advantage decreases
by month six, and disappears after a year or two.
The moral of the story is (drumroll please)...
Most people don't stick with ANY type of diet very well for very long.
And... the extreme low carb diets in particular have lower long
term adherence rates and poor long term maintenance rates.
Now, this does not mean that low carb diets do not have
benefits. They certainly do, and some of them are health
related (which is beyond the scope of this column).
Others are fat loss related...
If you automatically eat less due to appetite suppression and
removal of calorie dense foods, that is clearly an advantage,
it's just not the advantage that most low carb advocates
suggest.
There is no proof of metabolic advantage purely from
restriction of carbs and insulin does not lead to obesity
in a cause and effect sense, insulin merely plays a role
in the process of partioning surplus carbs into fat stores
or in suppressing fat release.
Insulin is important to manage, but not the deciding factor
in whether you lose fat or not.
One change in macronutrients that DOES help fat loss is an
increase in protein. Protein is highly thermogenic - about 30%.
So 30% of the energy in protein is not available for potential
fat storage, as it is metabolized just in the digestion process.
So in reality, you could say it's the higher protein, NOT
the reduced carbs, that provides the real advantage!
Ironically, a high protein diet is not always low in carbs.
Take the 40-40-20 macro split from BFFM (or BFL) for example.
40% of calories from protein is very high. And yet 40% carbs
is not very low!
The protein-induced thermodynamic advantage is somewhat small,
but it's significant if a large shift in protein intake is made
as is the case with a 30-40% protein program.
For example, the old food pyramid/ traditional dietician-style
diet is 15% protein. Research from the University of Washington
School of Medicine showed that when protein is doubled to 30%
(replacing carbs), there is a small but measureable advantage
even when matched calorie for calorie.
In free living studies, the advantage is even larger because
protein is a great appetite suppressant and is highly satiating.
In fact, protein NOT FAT, is the most satiating nutrient.
It appears that fat is psychologically satiating, but protein
is the hands down winner as the most satiating, appetite
suppressing macronutrient, physiologically speaking.
Thus, a protein with every meal and a 30% (or even higher) ratio of
protein is conducive to better fat loss - which incidentally is
EXACTLY how the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle program is set up
End
Have a peaceful day,
Showing posts with label Calories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Calories. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Drinking calories and weight gain
Today’s Re-Powering Information – First off, I love today’s quote. It’s the difference between knowing and doing. 99% of people would agree that exercise is important and good for them, yet less than 14% of our population exercises on a regular enough bases to see any benefit! Can you believe that? They know its good, you don’t need anything fancy to do it and yet so few people engage. You are the elite, in the minority! So I want to congratulate you on making fitness a priority. It will serve you in every area of your life. If I was not physically fit I don’t’ know how I would have gotten through some of the emotionally, financially, spiritually, socially, professionally and physically challenging times of my life. You are always in a better position when you are strong and healthy.
Speaking of knowing and doing, I know many of you enjoy an adult beverage. It’s only Monday but it is Cinco De Mayo tomorrow – another reason to . .. you guessed it – DRINK! Below are some facts on alcohol calories that may just limit or eliminate you drinking your calories. The average American drinks 300 calories a day. If you cut out one 12 oz caloric beverage (soda, juice, coffee, milk, wine, alcohol) you would automatically lost at least 2 pounds in a years time. That may not sound like a lot, but in 10 years it adds up – compared to putting that weight on!
Read on for more facts.
Many unaware of alcohol calories
Red wine in an off licence
The campaign is focusing on the calorie content of alcohol
Many people are unaware of the calorie content of alcohol, a survey shows.
Four in 10 did not know a glass of wine has the same calories (120) as a slice of cake, or that a pint of lager and a small sausage roll have 170 each.
The poll of 2,000 adults in England was carried out as part of the government's drive to curb people's drinking habits.
The campaign also stresses that a heavy drinking session is often followed by an unhealthy breakfast, which again helps to pile on the pounds.
The Know Your Limits campaign has in the past focused on other consequences of drinking, such as disease risk.
Alcohol and food calories compared
But to coincide with the focus on weight, the Department of Health carried out research showing a regular beer drinker, who downed five pints a week or 250 over the course of a year, packed away the same number of calories as someone eating 221 doughnuts over the space of 12 months.
It also revealed the average wine drinker consumed 2,000 calories each month. Over the course of a year, that is the equivalent of eating an extra 38 roast beef dinners.
Health minister Phil Hope said: "Regularly drinking more than our recommended daily limits can have a knock-on effect on our health, including an expanding waistline.
"It's not only the calories in the drinks themselves that can help to pile on the pounds, we're also more likely to eat fatty foods when we've had one too many."
Heather Caswell, of the British Nutrition Foundation, added: "Most people would baulk at consuming a full glass of single cream, but wouldn't think twice about a couple of pints.
"But the calorie content is similar and, over time, excess alcohol intake is likely to lead to weight gain."
And a spokesman for the Drinkaware Trust added: It's imperative we are in the know when it comes to what we are drinking. "
End
You are equipped to reach your desired outcomes. Follow through in a massive way!
Speaking of knowing and doing, I know many of you enjoy an adult beverage. It’s only Monday but it is Cinco De Mayo tomorrow – another reason to . .. you guessed it – DRINK! Below are some facts on alcohol calories that may just limit or eliminate you drinking your calories. The average American drinks 300 calories a day. If you cut out one 12 oz caloric beverage (soda, juice, coffee, milk, wine, alcohol) you would automatically lost at least 2 pounds in a years time. That may not sound like a lot, but in 10 years it adds up – compared to putting that weight on!
Read on for more facts.
Many unaware of alcohol calories
Red wine in an off licence
The campaign is focusing on the calorie content of alcohol
Many people are unaware of the calorie content of alcohol, a survey shows.
Four in 10 did not know a glass of wine has the same calories (120) as a slice of cake, or that a pint of lager and a small sausage roll have 170 each.
The poll of 2,000 adults in England was carried out as part of the government's drive to curb people's drinking habits.
The campaign also stresses that a heavy drinking session is often followed by an unhealthy breakfast, which again helps to pile on the pounds.
The Know Your Limits campaign has in the past focused on other consequences of drinking, such as disease risk.
Alcohol and food calories compared
But to coincide with the focus on weight, the Department of Health carried out research showing a regular beer drinker, who downed five pints a week or 250 over the course of a year, packed away the same number of calories as someone eating 221 doughnuts over the space of 12 months.
It also revealed the average wine drinker consumed 2,000 calories each month. Over the course of a year, that is the equivalent of eating an extra 38 roast beef dinners.
Health minister Phil Hope said: "Regularly drinking more than our recommended daily limits can have a knock-on effect on our health, including an expanding waistline.
"It's not only the calories in the drinks themselves that can help to pile on the pounds, we're also more likely to eat fatty foods when we've had one too many."
Heather Caswell, of the British Nutrition Foundation, added: "Most people would baulk at consuming a full glass of single cream, but wouldn't think twice about a couple of pints.
"But the calorie content is similar and, over time, excess alcohol intake is likely to lead to weight gain."
And a spokesman for the Drinkaware Trust added: It's imperative we are in the know when it comes to what we are drinking. "
End
You are equipped to reach your desired outcomes. Follow through in a massive way!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
More ammunition to avoid sugar in your diet!
Today’s Re-Powering information – More ammunition to avoid sugar in your diet!
Soft Drinks and Energy Drinks: Too Sweet for Your Own Good
April 21, 2009 01:39 PM ET | Katherine Hobson | Permanent Link | Print
Sugary soft drinks and energy drinks are taking it on the chin these days. First, two public-health experts floated the idea of a specific tax on sodas and energy drinks, and now, two other researchers are saying the drinks contribute to obesity and need an extreme makeover.
Walter Willett, who chairs the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, argues that there is a "direct causal link" between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and energy drinks and obesity, which is in turn linked to heart disease, some types of cancer, arthritis, and type 2 diabetes. So he and a colleague, Lilian Cheung, a lecturer in the nutrition department, are suggesting that we all start focusing on drinks with a far lower sugar and calorie content: things like water, tea, seltzer with a splash of juice, and coffee with one lump of sugar.
They call on beverage makers to create reduced-calorie beverages with no more than 1 gram of sugar per ounce, without using noncaloric sweeteners like aspartame and stevia. [See why VitaminWater is a poster child for the importance of reading food and drink labels.]
That kind of beverage would have about 3 teaspoons of sugar per 12 ounces and about 50 calories. Look at Harvard's chart to see how soft drinks, juices, and sports drinks stack up next to that standard-the worst offender, cranberry juice cocktail, has 200 calories and 12 teaspoons of sugar in a 12-ounce serving. (No word yet on how the beverage industry trade group has received this suggestion, but I will write a post if it does respond.)
[Here's the skinny on caloric sweeteners like agave and corn syrup.]
Why the fuss over sugary beverages rather than, say, candy bars? Willett and Cheung say that these drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the diet of young Americans, with teen boys drinking more than a quart per day. In addition, other researchers, such as Barry Popkin, have suggested that liquid calories don't prompt our bodies to feel full the way calories in solid form do. The Harvard folks say we need to retrain our bodies away from intense sweetness, which is why their hypothesized beverages don't include low-calorie sweeteners like stevia, either. "When adults get conditioned to everything being sweet, it's hard to appreciate the gentle sweetness of a carrot or an apple," says Willett. That means using even low-calorie sweeteners may lead to weight gain, he says. A study published last year suggesting low-calorie sweeteners led to overeating.
End
Realize that every choice is a work in progress. Do your best to make the better bad choices until you are making the healthiest choices 80% of the time.
Success is a process!
Have an ultrawell day!
Soft Drinks and Energy Drinks: Too Sweet for Your Own Good
April 21, 2009 01:39 PM ET | Katherine Hobson | Permanent Link | Print
Sugary soft drinks and energy drinks are taking it on the chin these days. First, two public-health experts floated the idea of a specific tax on sodas and energy drinks, and now, two other researchers are saying the drinks contribute to obesity and need an extreme makeover.
Walter Willett, who chairs the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, argues that there is a "direct causal link" between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and energy drinks and obesity, which is in turn linked to heart disease, some types of cancer, arthritis, and type 2 diabetes. So he and a colleague, Lilian Cheung, a lecturer in the nutrition department, are suggesting that we all start focusing on drinks with a far lower sugar and calorie content: things like water, tea, seltzer with a splash of juice, and coffee with one lump of sugar.
They call on beverage makers to create reduced-calorie beverages with no more than 1 gram of sugar per ounce, without using noncaloric sweeteners like aspartame and stevia. [See why VitaminWater is a poster child for the importance of reading food and drink labels.]
That kind of beverage would have about 3 teaspoons of sugar per 12 ounces and about 50 calories. Look at Harvard's chart to see how soft drinks, juices, and sports drinks stack up next to that standard-the worst offender, cranberry juice cocktail, has 200 calories and 12 teaspoons of sugar in a 12-ounce serving. (No word yet on how the beverage industry trade group has received this suggestion, but I will write a post if it does respond.)
[Here's the skinny on caloric sweeteners like agave and corn syrup.]
Why the fuss over sugary beverages rather than, say, candy bars? Willett and Cheung say that these drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the diet of young Americans, with teen boys drinking more than a quart per day. In addition, other researchers, such as Barry Popkin, have suggested that liquid calories don't prompt our bodies to feel full the way calories in solid form do. The Harvard folks say we need to retrain our bodies away from intense sweetness, which is why their hypothesized beverages don't include low-calorie sweeteners like stevia, either. "When adults get conditioned to everything being sweet, it's hard to appreciate the gentle sweetness of a carrot or an apple," says Willett. That means using even low-calorie sweeteners may lead to weight gain, he says. A study published last year suggesting low-calorie sweeteners led to overeating.
End
Realize that every choice is a work in progress. Do your best to make the better bad choices until you are making the healthiest choices 80% of the time.
Success is a process!
Have an ultrawell day!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Cutting calories 'boosts memory'
Today’s Re-Powering information – It’s obvious that at the end of the day calories matter. I have been preaching about the quality of the calories more than the quantity. If you are going to over eat, I would rather you over eat organic chicken vegetable soup than chicken wings and fried mozzarella sticks. They have a different effect on your body – even if the calories are the same. The natural food is easier to digest, metabolize and does not leave foreign toxins behind. Studies have shown that those who consume fewer calories live longer and have less disease. That stands to reason as over feeding causes inflammation and obesity. It’s also rare that people are over feeding on salad. They are more likely to overfeed on pastries, fried foods and other fast foods which are artery clogging and lead to other diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
Cutting calories not only leads to fast loss and improved health, a new study shows it also boosts memory so strive to eat for your physiology rather than your emotions or out of habit.
Cutting calories 'boosts memory'
Healthy food
The volunteers had to limit their calorie intake
Reducing what you eat by nearly a third may improve memory, according to German researchers.
They introduced the diet to 50 elderly volunteers, then gave them a memory test three months later.
The study, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, found significant improvements.
However, a dietician said the reduction could harm health unless care was taken.
To our knowledge, the current results provide first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly
Munster University researchers
There is growing interest in the potential benefits of calorie restricted diets, after research in animals suggested they might be able to improve lifespan and delay the onset of age-related disease.
However, it is still not certain whether this would be the case in humans - and the levels of "caloric restriction" involved are severe.
The precise mechanism which may deliver these benefits is still being investigated, with theories ranging from a reduction in the production of "free radical" chemicals which can cause damage, to a fall in inflammation which can have the same result.
The researchers from the University of Munster carried out the human study after results in rats suggested that memory could be boosted by a diet containing 30% fewer calories than normal.
The study volunteers, who had an average age of 60, were split into three groups - the first had a balanced diet containing the normal number of calories, the second had a similar diet but with a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, such as those found in olive oil and fish.
The final group were given the calorie restricted diet.
After three months, there was no difference in memory scores in the first two groups, but the 50 in the third group performed better.
Diet warning
They also showed other signs of physical improvement, with decreased levels of insulin and fewer signs of inflammation.
The researchers said that these changes could explain the better memory scores, by keeping brain cells in better health.
They wrote: "To our knowledge, the current results provide first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly.
"The present findings may help to develop new prevention and treatment strategies for maintaining cognitive health into old age."
However, care was taken to make sure that the volunteers, despite eating a restricted diet in terms of calories, carried on eating the right amount of vitamins and other nutrients.
Dr Leigh Gibson, from Roehampton University, said that the drop in insulin levels were one plausible reason why mental performance might improve.
The hormone was known to act on parts of the brain related to memory, he said, and the higher levels found in people with poorly controlled type II diabetes had been directly linked to worse memory and cognitive function.
A spokesman for the British Dietetic Association said that people, particularly those already at normal or low weight, should be "extremely careful" about attempting such a diet.
She said: "There is other evidence that, far from enhancing memory, dieting or removing meals can interfere with memory and brain function.
"A drop of 30% in calories is a significant one for someone who is not overweight, and should not be undertaken lightly.
"It could even be dangerous if the person is already underweight."
End
Remember if you want to re-read an article or show a friend, it’s available on the boot camp blog 24 / 7 for your reference. http://argylebootcamp.blogspot.com/
Be a Victor and not a Victim!
Have a glorious day!
Cutting calories not only leads to fast loss and improved health, a new study shows it also boosts memory so strive to eat for your physiology rather than your emotions or out of habit.
Cutting calories 'boosts memory'
Healthy food
The volunteers had to limit their calorie intake
Reducing what you eat by nearly a third may improve memory, according to German researchers.
They introduced the diet to 50 elderly volunteers, then gave them a memory test three months later.
The study, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, found significant improvements.
However, a dietician said the reduction could harm health unless care was taken.
To our knowledge, the current results provide first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly
Munster University researchers
There is growing interest in the potential benefits of calorie restricted diets, after research in animals suggested they might be able to improve lifespan and delay the onset of age-related disease.
However, it is still not certain whether this would be the case in humans - and the levels of "caloric restriction" involved are severe.
The precise mechanism which may deliver these benefits is still being investigated, with theories ranging from a reduction in the production of "free radical" chemicals which can cause damage, to a fall in inflammation which can have the same result.
The researchers from the University of Munster carried out the human study after results in rats suggested that memory could be boosted by a diet containing 30% fewer calories than normal.
The study volunteers, who had an average age of 60, were split into three groups - the first had a balanced diet containing the normal number of calories, the second had a similar diet but with a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, such as those found in olive oil and fish.
The final group were given the calorie restricted diet.
After three months, there was no difference in memory scores in the first two groups, but the 50 in the third group performed better.
Diet warning
They also showed other signs of physical improvement, with decreased levels of insulin and fewer signs of inflammation.
The researchers said that these changes could explain the better memory scores, by keeping brain cells in better health.
They wrote: "To our knowledge, the current results provide first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly.
"The present findings may help to develop new prevention and treatment strategies for maintaining cognitive health into old age."
However, care was taken to make sure that the volunteers, despite eating a restricted diet in terms of calories, carried on eating the right amount of vitamins and other nutrients.
Dr Leigh Gibson, from Roehampton University, said that the drop in insulin levels were one plausible reason why mental performance might improve.
The hormone was known to act on parts of the brain related to memory, he said, and the higher levels found in people with poorly controlled type II diabetes had been directly linked to worse memory and cognitive function.
A spokesman for the British Dietetic Association said that people, particularly those already at normal or low weight, should be "extremely careful" about attempting such a diet.
She said: "There is other evidence that, far from enhancing memory, dieting or removing meals can interfere with memory and brain function.
"A drop of 30% in calories is a significant one for someone who is not overweight, and should not be undertaken lightly.
"It could even be dangerous if the person is already underweight."
End
Remember if you want to re-read an article or show a friend, it’s available on the boot camp blog 24 / 7 for your reference. http://argylebootcamp.blogspot.com/
Be a Victor and not a Victim!
Have a glorious day!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Underestimating Your Calories?
Today’s Re-Powering Information – I’ve said this before, but it’s worth reiterating. Most people (including me) underestimate how much poor food they eat and they overestimate how much fruits and vegetables they consume. They also overestimate how much the exercise. Many overweight people only remember eating one half of what they ate. Now there’s proof in these studies. It’s interesting to see the types of food we underestimate as well as some solutions to get a handle on what’s passing our lips.
What is the "Eye-Mouth Gap"?
September 30, 2008
Can't Figure out why you're gaining weight even though you're watching what you eat and have been exercising consistently for a while? Two recent studies shed some light.
According to the Berkeley Wellness Letter, the "eye-mouth gap", a term used to describe the common practice of underestimating the amount of food one eats, is prevalent among those trying to lose weight.
The idea is if you ask someone what they ate yesterday the odds are their caloric estimate will be off by a considerable amount. Studies show that up to 80% of the population underestimates their food intake. This includes lean and athletic people, too.
Researchers have found that when queried, many obese people remember eating only about half as much food as they actually consumed. A recent survey found that most adults underestimate their daily food consumption by about 800 calories. Considering that the standard adult diet is in the neighborhood of 2000 calories, these flawed estimates can add up to quite a few extra pounds and inches each year.
What's more, while people underestimate the amount of sugar, refined foods, and unhealthy fats they consume, people also tend to overestimate their daily intake of fruit, veggies, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. So we're consuming more calories than we realize, we're eating more junk food than we realize, and we're eating less healthy food than we realize.
There are a few possible reasons why a person might fail to grasp what (or how much) they are putting into their bodies. Explains the Wellness Letter:
Misreporting is seldom a deliberate deception, researchers believe. More likely, it's unconsciously done, perhaps in response to social or familial pressure, combined with wishful thinking. In addition, people don't know how much food they put on their plates. If you're trying to lose weight or improve your diet, don't trust your eyes.
In addition to underestimating how much we're eating, another recent study shows that Americans are overestimating the number of calories they burn during the day (exercising or performing everyday activity)! The overweight population is overestimating their calories burned per day by approximately 900 and normal weight people by 600. These two recent studies certainly explain our expanding waistlines. Click here to watch the Liz Bonis segment on "Eye-Mouth Gap"
What can you do?
1. Be consistent in your workouts and make them progressive. Simply put, keep working diligently and change your routine frequently. We take care of this for you in camp.
2. Track your calories. Doctors, fitness professionals and dietitians suggest health-conscious consumers track their meals to have a more accurate picture of what (and how much) they're actually eating. Use some method (the easier, the better) to keep count of how many calories you're consuming. If you want to lose weight, allow for a small caloric deficit on most days of the week - you should expend more energy than you take in by approximately 400 - 800 on caloric deficit days.
A nutrition tool I've found to help track both the quantity and quality of calories is Meal Plans 101, created by dietitian Dr. Chris Mohr, PhD. Regardless of the method, people who keep track of what they are eating are far more successful in their fitness and body fat reduction efforts.
You can see more info here - http://www.argylebootcamp.com/mealplanning.html. This will let you know precisely how much fat, fiber, protein, calories and more, that you are consuming
End
Enjoy today’s journey,
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
What is the "Eye-Mouth Gap"?
September 30, 2008
Can't Figure out why you're gaining weight even though you're watching what you eat and have been exercising consistently for a while? Two recent studies shed some light.
According to the Berkeley Wellness Letter, the "eye-mouth gap", a term used to describe the common practice of underestimating the amount of food one eats, is prevalent among those trying to lose weight.
The idea is if you ask someone what they ate yesterday the odds are their caloric estimate will be off by a considerable amount. Studies show that up to 80% of the population underestimates their food intake. This includes lean and athletic people, too.
Researchers have found that when queried, many obese people remember eating only about half as much food as they actually consumed. A recent survey found that most adults underestimate their daily food consumption by about 800 calories. Considering that the standard adult diet is in the neighborhood of 2000 calories, these flawed estimates can add up to quite a few extra pounds and inches each year.
What's more, while people underestimate the amount of sugar, refined foods, and unhealthy fats they consume, people also tend to overestimate their daily intake of fruit, veggies, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. So we're consuming more calories than we realize, we're eating more junk food than we realize, and we're eating less healthy food than we realize.
There are a few possible reasons why a person might fail to grasp what (or how much) they are putting into their bodies. Explains the Wellness Letter:
Misreporting is seldom a deliberate deception, researchers believe. More likely, it's unconsciously done, perhaps in response to social or familial pressure, combined with wishful thinking. In addition, people don't know how much food they put on their plates. If you're trying to lose weight or improve your diet, don't trust your eyes.
In addition to underestimating how much we're eating, another recent study shows that Americans are overestimating the number of calories they burn during the day (exercising or performing everyday activity)! The overweight population is overestimating their calories burned per day by approximately 900 and normal weight people by 600. These two recent studies certainly explain our expanding waistlines. Click here to watch the Liz Bonis segment on "Eye-Mouth Gap"
What can you do?
1. Be consistent in your workouts and make them progressive. Simply put, keep working diligently and change your routine frequently. We take care of this for you in camp.
2. Track your calories. Doctors, fitness professionals and dietitians suggest health-conscious consumers track their meals to have a more accurate picture of what (and how much) they're actually eating. Use some method (the easier, the better) to keep count of how many calories you're consuming. If you want to lose weight, allow for a small caloric deficit on most days of the week - you should expend more energy than you take in by approximately 400 - 800 on caloric deficit days.
A nutrition tool I've found to help track both the quantity and quality of calories is Meal Plans 101, created by dietitian Dr. Chris Mohr, PhD. Regardless of the method, people who keep track of what they are eating are far more successful in their fitness and body fat reduction efforts.
You can see more info here - http://www.argylebootcamp.com/mealplanning.html. This will let you know precisely how much fat, fiber, protein, calories and more, that you are consuming
End
Enjoy today’s journey,
Kelli
www.KelliCalabrese.com
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