A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that calories in versus calories out works for weight loss. They studied 811 people
who were on one of four diets. What they found was after a year they all lost an average of 13 pounds and kept an average of 9 pounds off. The key? They cut
their calories by 750, and exercised most days out of the week. What they ate wasn't as important in weight management as how many calories they consumed versus
burned. I call this the "In versus Out" Inventory. Just like our finances, if you spend more money than you have, you go into debt. If you eat more calories
than you burn, you gain weight. It's no more complicated than that folks. Why do so many of us struggle with weight issues? In most cases, it is due to an
imbalance in our caloric budgets. We eat too much and we move too little. Here are a few strategies to balance your budget and learn to maintain your weight for life.
- Be patient and think “Evolution, not Revolution.” The only way to lose weight and keep it off for life is to make small life changes. Eating breakfast every morning
to kick-start your metabolism and replace one not-so-good food choice with a healthy one every day are great examples of small changes that will make a significant
difference. Aim for a gradual weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week. You’ll lose fat, rather than calorie burning muscle and be more likely to keep it off.
- Put yourself on a budget and take inventory. Use the BeeWell Miles log to log your calories and your exercise. You can compare this information with the USDA Estimated
Calorie Requirement for your activity level, and even graph your nutrition history or print it out using the report function. You’ll quickly realize which foods are
keepers and which ones need to go and how to balance your “In vs. Out” Inventory.
- Get Real. Weigh yourself and if you can, have your body fat and measurements taken by a trainer at your gym or nutrition expert. You’ll determine a clear starting point
from which you can measure your progress week to week. Weigh yourself no more than once per week and look for a gradual loss in weight 1-2 pounds per week.
- Incorporate exercise into your life daily. A little goes a long way in feeling healthy, boosting your metabolism and curbing your appetite. The better you feel,
the better you’ll eat. Cardiovascular exercise is like a debit card and revs up your metabolism short term and burns lots of calories. Aim for 30-60 minutes most days
of the week to build your caloric checking account.
- Strength training is like putting your money in a savings account. You won’t burn a lot of calories each session, but over time, it will build and lean muscle tissue is
very active and will burn more calories at rest. Shoot for two to three strength workouts per week (pilates, strength classes, weights, or calisthenics).
- Keep your metabolism charged and energy stable by eating smaller, more frequent meals every few hours. Skipping meals will not only put a halt on your metabolism, it will
set you up for raiding the pantry late at night!
- Take the stairs and park farther away. Never underestimate the calories burned while climbing stairs to work and walking to and from your car. It may seem insignificant,
but every step burns calories and keeps the metabolic fire going!
- Watch the portion sizes. The bigger the plate the more you’re likely to put on it. Use smaller plates and choose smaller portions at each meal. Try to eat undistracted and slowly.