Most of the time, nutrition is what's the most challenging and complicated of how to improve fitness and health. We are often bombarded in our national media about what's good and what's bad for you, but it only provides a description of the field, not how to play.
May I introduce the first of important dietary suggestions....the kilo-calorie, or just calorie. A calorie is simply a measure of energy, specifically the amount of energy needed to boil 1g of water. We use it in nutrition as a measure of energy as well. However in nutrition, a calorie is what's needed to sustain normal body function and/or appearance.
If you were to look at a nutrition label, the calories are at the top (along with serving size). Usually, stuff at the
top indicates its importance, and the calories are nothing short of important. Some suggest that it's about 50% of overall success, and that's managing calories. The breakdown of calories is something I'll go into in future posts, but for now, know that if your calories are off, then your weight will be off.
Truthfully, it's not too difficult in our society and in our culture to overkill on the calories. We are told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, often equating to 500+ calories. For men, this could be around 1/4 of what's needed, for women closer to 1/2. Add a 500+ calorie lunch and even a 1000+ calorie dinner in there and you see how it's hard to maintain or lose weight.
If you're a parent like I am, then you know that this is even more difficult. Sometimes after a long day at work, you want to just feed your family, not count calories. Often, this is a stop for pizza or Chick Fil A, easily getting us past the 1000 calorie mark. Then, you have the sneaky bastards (Oreos) in the house just calling your name, so add another 150-300 on top of that. After awhile you see how the dad (or mom) bod is formed.
Myfitnesspal is a huge asset for me in the counting of calories. My target is 2300 calories per day, and honestly sometimes I struggle to hit it, other times I easily smoke that number. The more I log and track, however, the easier it is for me to gauge my eating and therefore manage my weight.
Tracking calories, managing
weight, and being active is a lifelong commitment, even with kids. And it's a challenging commitment. I challenge you to keep track of your calories for several days (normal days) and to see how you stack up in the calorie department.
May I introduce the first of important dietary suggestions....the kilo-calorie, or just calorie. A calorie is simply a measure of energy, specifically the amount of energy needed to boil 1g of water. We use it in nutrition as a measure of energy as well. However in nutrition, a calorie is what's needed to sustain normal body function and/or appearance.
If you were to look at a nutrition label, the calories are at the top (along with serving size). Usually, stuff at the top indicates its importance, and the calories are nothing short of important. Some suggest that it's about 50% of overall success, and that's managing calories. The breakdown of calories is something I'll go into in future posts, but for now, know that if your calories are off, then your weight will be off.
Truthfully, it's not too difficult in our society and in our culture to overkill on the calories. We are told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, often equating to 500+ calories. For men, this could be around 1/4 of what's needed, for women closer to 1/2. Add a 500+ calorie lunch and even a 1000+ calorie dinner in there and you see how it's hard to maintain or lose weight.
If you're a parent like I am, then you know that this is even more difficult. Sometimes after a long day at work, you want to just feed your family, not count calories. Often, this is a stop for pizza or Chick Fil A, easily getting us past the 1000 calorie mark. Then, you have the sneaky bastards (Oreos) in the house just calling your name, so add another 150-300 on top of that. After awhile you see how the dad (or mom) bod is formed.
Myfitnesspal is a huge asset for me in the counting of calories. My target is 2300 calories per day, and honestly sometimes I struggle to hit it, other times I easily smoke that number. The more I log and track, however, the easier it is for me to gauge my eating and therefore manage my weight.
Tracking calories, managing
weight, and being active is a lifelong commitment, even with kids. And it's a challenging commitment. I challenge you to keep track of your calories for several days (normal days) and to see how you stack up in the calorie department.
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