Nutrition Counts in Calorie Counting

Nutrition. So many words and thoughts come to mind…

I started eating extremely healthy and began exercising on a regular basis, but I wasn’t losing any weight. Turns out, I was consuming quite a bit of calories, and If it weren’t for my daily exercise routine, I probably would have been gaining weight! Yes, gaining weight on carrots and apples. Ok, not just on carrots and apples, but I think you get my point. What I have come to find is, our bodies are like a math problem. We can figure out how many calories you need each day living your life and maintain your current weight. You can also figure out by simple math how to lose or gain weight.

If you want to lose a pound of fat, you need to either burn 3,500 extra calories or eat 3,500 calories less, or a combination of the two. Combination of the two is preferred (and I think it’s easier!). For example, If you just wanted to lose 1 pound a week, you could burn 300 calories a day by doing some cardio, and then consuming 200 calories less than you normally eat.

It might be a good idea to count calories until you get the hang of what you should be eating. It might surprise you how much calories you are consuming each day, and even more of a surprise to find out how many servings you are eating!

With calorie counting, you might think you can eat whatever you want. Technically, you can, but it’s not recommended. I remember eating something unhealthy like a candy bar, and since I was counting calories and staying within my daily “budget”, I thought I was OK. Problem is, I was hungry. Very hungry and miserable, and that can’t be good for anyone who is trying to stay within a certain amount of calories. Candy can only satisfy you momentarily. Real food is what is going to give you energy, make you feel good, and keep you going throughout the entire day.

As far as calories go, you do not want to consume less than 1,000 calories in a day. Talk to your doctor or a professional nutritionist to find out how many calories you are supposed to consume. Typically, you don’t want to lose more than 2 pounds in a week. Losing 2 pounds in a week is a lot, maybe even more than you think. Be patient, and realize if you start losing more than 2 pounds a week, it could be muscle. This isn’t a good thing, since muscle is what is helping your body lost fat in the first place. Again, consult a Doctor or Nutritionist before you start any diet/exercise plan.

Feel free to follow us, however you like: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest