Losing the lbs

Did you know that 1 pound of body fat is approximately equal to 3500 calories?  While that seems like an outrageously large number, the over-consumption of high caloric foods and large portion sizes makes it a fairly easy number to get to.  Often.  Of course take into consideration the calories you burn throughout the day, especially if you are frequently exercising.

If you are looking to lose about 1 lb per week, you would have to have a deficit (more calories burned that taken in) of about 500 calories per day.  For 2 lbs per week, it would be 1000 calories.  Losing 1-2 pounds a week is a healthy goal.

I don't believe in being so stringent about counting calories but I definitely think that being aware of the amount of calories you are consuming per day is important to losing and maintaining a healthy weight. 

Here are some tips..

• Always read the food label and understand the serving size related to the amount of calories in each serving.  A lot of bottled beverages contain 2 servings for the entire drink so make sure you are aware if the calories are accounting for the entire drink or just 1 serving.  
• Keep your snacks throughout the day to 100-150 calories each.  If you like the 100-calorie snack packs, remember to only eat 1!!!!  Recent studies have shown that people are consuming a couple of the packs, totally defeating the purpose!
• Most chain restaurants offer all of the nutrition information for their menus.  Read it and use it.  Meals you "thought" were healthy like a Cobb salad, are in fact, chock full of calories and fat.
• Don't always rely on the "burned calories" information displayed on exercise machines.  It's a very vague estimation that skews high.
• Try not to reward yourself with high caloric foods after a good workout.  Just because you did an hour of kickboxing does not mean you can get the fries at In and Out.  Have one cheat day a week and enjoy it!!!

I also want to address the dreaded SCALE.  Numbers are evil.  And they play mind-games on us.  When you start losing weight, it's always great to see the numbers go down on the scale.  But if one day the numbers are higher than they were the day before, it can be so discouraging.  I think the best measure of weight loss is how you look naked in the mirror and how your clothes are fitting.  When my favorite jeans start to get snug, I know I need to dial in my eating and exercising.  I just don't rely on the numbers.....

In health and happiness,

Jill